Memoirs from the Garden
by Violetta-Night Butterfly
Summary: [AU] Their first encounter was in the garden, they were young but became fast friends - promising to maintain their bond forever. But what started off as an innocent friendship took a heartbreaking turn for the worst. Time passed by and they meet again with a chance to repair all the promises that were broken. JakexSherry, ChrisxJill w/ others COMPLETE
1. When We Were Young

Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil, any of the characters or anything related to the series. This is simply a work of fiction and has no relevance to the series whatsoever.

**NOTE:** THIS STORY USED TO BE CALLED "_UNDER THE APPLE TREES_" BUT I HAD TO CHANGE IT AS THERE IS ALREADY A JAKEXSHERRY FIC WITH A SIMILAR TITLE. TO AVOID CONFUSION AND PROBLEMS, I'M CHANGING THE TITLE - I HOPE THIS DOESN'T CONFUSE ANYONE AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.

* * *

**_Memoirs From the Garden_**

_By: Violetta-Night Butterfly_

_Pairing: JakexSherry_

_~I could never forget the day we met. How we laughed, how we played - I could never forget the smile you brought to my face. _

_No matter what happened from that day on, I kept that beautiful memory. After all, it happened in our sacred place, in the garden, under the apple tree._

* * *

**When we were young...**

_[Jake age 9 / Sherry age 8]_

* * *

Jake was alone, his mother was too busy to deal with him and his father was nowhere to be found - most likely away on another business trip. He was used to it, he wasn't the average little boy - he liked to think of himself as being a young man.

In his opinion, he was free to do whatever he wanted for this very reason.

Despite his rebellious and troublemaking behaviors, he didn't wander off too far whenever he was left unattended. At most he traveled to the garden behind his house, his destination was always to reach the apple trees and then return before he was missed or caught by the owners of the garden.

He did this every so often and each time he arrived to his favorite spot, he was alone. Not once had he been caught – Jake liked to think of himself as a master of stealth. He was a pro at avoiding detection.

But that day was a very special occasion.

Sherry was also alone that day. Her mother had left her in the house alone while she was at work. Annette Birkin did this quite often because Sherry was a good girl, she never got in any trouble and was reliable at her young age. She assumed she was safe in the home so long as it was locked up and she was given food to last her the next few hours until she returned.

But little Sherry was afraid to be alone that day. There was a storm brewing in the region and her house was too dark for her to handle. She knew she wasn't supposed to leave the house but curiosity and fear peaked for her.

She grabbed the spare set of keys off the table and unlocked the door, running off into the garden her mother was so proud of.

Sherry had always been curious of what the pond looked like while the rain poured from the skies. She wanted to pluck roses from their stems and scatter them into it for her memories forever.

Her sandals echoed along the bricks as she moved, her white sundress fluttered in the breeze despite the drizzle from above. Brushing through bushes of azaleas and other blooms, Sherry jogged through the open white gates and farther into the flowery oasis she adored, hoping to reach the pond before the storm came.

The light shower had caused Jake to slip on the soggy grass and tumble down the small hill he had climbed to hide among the tall tulips. He fell into the pond below. He surfaced a moment later, spitting out the water and wiping at his eyes.

He didn't care if he was wet because he was before he even fell, but he was upset that he probably alerted someone of his presence. He stood still for a long while and until he started a slow maneuver up through the pond towards his destination.

The apple trees were around the small island that the pond circled, it wouldn't take him much to reach it if he swam through the pond to the other side so he decided to do just that.

Jake really didn't care whose garden this was. If anyone had a problem with him stealing apples, it was their problem, not his. The water wasn't any higher than his elbows, it was easy to walk across but he was rushing now, desperate for his favorite fruit.

Sherry had a basket full of rose petals in one hand as she walked towards the pond. The rain looked so pretty as it showered along the top of it, she could see bullfrogs nearby croaking as they floated along the many lily-pads that danced atop the water. There were a few turtles on the rocks but some were just swimming near a few fish. A few birds too - it was like a dream world in her girlish mind.

She was young but Sherry already kind of knew what she wanted to be when she grew up - she wanted to work with flowers and plants. Her mother told her that meant she could become either a florist or a botanist. Sherry wasn't sure what they were but if they involved nourishing the earth she was all for it.

She hummed as she crouched down onto the concrete bricks that aligned the pond, the basket was beside her and she stuck her hand into it gathering a handful of petals. She tossed them into the water and felt overjoyed so much that she removed her sandals and sank her tiny feet into the water.

Jake noticed the girl before she saw him. He almost panicked but decided to just climb out the pond to avoid detection. He stepped one foot onto the brick but he slipped once again and fell backwards into the pond. He surfaced immediately causing the girl before him to shriek and jump to her feet.

_Dang it! She saw me! _he fussed to himself, realizing he had resurfaced right in front of her.

He noticed she was wearing a white sundress that reached her calves, around her neck was a set of keys that looked to be attached to a golden heart-shaped locket. She had neck length shiny blonde hair and the biggest blue eyes he'd ever seen.

_She's cute... like a little doll. _He thought to himself as he stared at her.

"W-Who are you?" she asked, her eyes wide with fear as she clutched the basket against her.

"Uh..." he forgot he could speak for some reason. _What's wrong with me - she's just a stupid girl! _

She started to giggle at him and he wondered why until she spoke. "Th-There's a cute little f-froggie on your head." she managed and then started to giggle again.

Jake frowned and fanned the annoying amphibian from his ginger hair. Much to his annoyance, it flipped off his face before it leaped into the pond. He growled, wiping at his face. "Gross..." he voiced disgusted. Noticing the pretty blonde was still laughing, he glared at her - a pink tint coming to his freckled cheeks. "Stop laughing at me!"

She flinched under his tone and quieted immediately. "I'm... I'm sorry."

Jake stormed out of the pond, lifting himself onto the stones to wring out his wet clothes, as well as pour the water from his shoes. "Stupid girls, they think everything is funny." he mumbled irritably.

Sherry was perplexed by this boys' presence. She'd never seen anyone come to her mother's garden besides her and her mom, to see this kid here was so odd but she welcomed it. She'd been alone all morning, she even woke up that morning without her mother so it felt good to see someone.

She was silent as she watched him shake a tiny tadpole from his shoe. He was beyond annoyed, judging from his expression. She wondered why he was in the pond on such a rainy day. It was warm outside but not really swimming weather thanks to the drizzle.

He was quite tall and this made her wonder his age. He had eyes the color of rain and on his head was a full head of messy wet auburn hair. He wore a black long sleeved shirt and blue jeans, he also had a green over the shoulder bag on him.

The boy noticed her staring at him and shot her a hard stare. "_What_?" he snapped.

She flinched again. "N-Nothing, I was just curious, um why were you in the pond?" she asked timidly, fidgeting with the straw of her basket.

"Why are you out in here in the rain?" he challenged. Sherry noticed he was very moody.

"I like to put flower petals in the pond... I-I think it looks pretty." she answered honestly. "U-Um, my name is Sherry... what's yours?" she asked sweetly.

Jake stared at her. She was obviously a nice girl, perhaps too nice. "Jake." he had no idea why he told her. He didn't mean to.

Sherry smiled brightly and Jake felt warm all over. She was like a little nymph or fairy from the tales he always heard from his mother, she looked pure and heavenly.

It was gross to think of her like this but it wasn't often he talked to girls long enough to notice their looks, but when he did none of them ever came across like this little girl.

They were all so boring and whiny, always playing with dolls and afraid of getting dirty or messing up the hairdo their mother did for them. But here was Sherry, she was small, visibly wimpy but she didn't seem scared of frogs [she called it cute], was wet from the rain drizzling around them and she even had a little mud on her feet and the end of her dress.

"Why are you here, Jake?" she asked him in that tiny melodic voice of hers.

Sherry found him interesting. She wondered more and more about him as he stared at her with eyes like rain. He was mysterious and she was sure he had a motive for being here in her mom's garden. She was curious about where he came from and how he found this place.

"I uh -"

Just then, thunder echoed across the skies above. Jake's eyes gazed to the heavens as he realized he wouldn't be getting to the apple tree today if he didn't hurry. He'd have to ignore this girl and hurry back home before his mom came looking for him.

He looked down and noticed the little blonde girl had ducked down, covering her ears and was visibly shaking. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I-I'm s-scared of th-thunder." she told him weakly.

Jake pouted and stamped his right foot. "Why are girl's so weak? For God's sake it's just thunder - it can't hurt you!"

Sherry looked up at him. "H-How do you know?"

"Because it's just a loud _bang_ in the sky! Now lightning is a different story." he said proudly, pleased that she was listening to him. He didn't get to show his smarts very often to people but when he did he enjoyed it.

"A-Are you sure, Jake?" she asked, slowly rising from her the ground.

"Yep," he heard the thunder again and felt annoyed that she was shaking from it once again. "Look - I'm trying to get to the apple trees, you wanna come so I can protect you from the scary thunder?"

_Why am I being so nice to her? She's just a dumb girl! _He wondered to himself as he extended his hand to her. When he saw her tear-filled eyes light up, glistening prettily and a bright smile come to her blushing face - he couldn't help it. He smiled back to her. _She's a wimp but at least she's cute._

Sherry took his hand and followed him back through the garden she came from. Her basket was in her other hand and petals scattered as they ran. She'd left her shoes at the pond but she didn't care, she was finally able to make a friend, something she didn't have in school or anywhere else.

They reached the apple trees and hid beneath them as the rain picked up. Jake handed Sherry his bag and unzipped it. "Try to catch the ones I drop into the bag, got it?"

"Um, okay."

Jake climbed the tree until he reached the top and snagged some very ripe ones, red and shiny so they made his mouth water. He stuffed his pockets with them and went on to pursue some more.

He dropped some down to Sherry, she caught most of them in the bag but the last one hit her on the head, making her feel a bit dizzy. "Ow..."

"You alright, Sherry?" Jake called down to her, his face etched with concern.

"I'm - I'm okay, did you still want this one?" she asked meekly holding up the one that had fallen, it was covered in mud.

"Nah, I've got plenty - I'm coming down so head's up."

He jumped down in front of Sherry and she stumbled backward until he grabbed her small hand and tugged her back to her feet. They gazed into each other's eyes until lightning struck in the sky. Sherry shrank instantly, covering her ears and whimpering. Jake crouched down beside her, instinctively wrapping his arm around her small shoulders.

He pressed his back against the tree, hoping she would stop her annoying crying. "Hey, it's okay - we're gonna be fine."

Sherry sniffed and raised her head to look him in the face. He smiled warmly at her. "R-Really?" he nodded to her. "Thanks Jake, you're really nice." she said cutely.

"I guess." Jake shrugged.

"Um, can we be... friends?" she asked shyly as she fiddled with the bottom of her dress.

Jake frowned. "Why would I be friends with a _girl_?"

Sherry looked defeated, her face lowered to her lap and she felt more tears come to her eyes. "I'm... sorry. I-I just d-don't have any friends... and I thought maybe y-you..."

Jake felt extremely guilty - more than he ever did before. "H-Hey! Uh... fine. I'll be your friend - will that make you stop crying?" Sherry sniffed and nodded. "Okay, okay - we're friends, ya happy now?"

Sherry beamed at him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Jake!"

"Ew! Gross get off me!" he said while struggling to get away from her.

She pulled away but stared at him affectionately and he found that he really liked it. He quite liked her. "How old are you, Jake?"

"I'm nine, you?"

Sherry blushed prettily. "Eight, you're really tall for a nine-year old."

"And you're cute for a wimpy girl."

Sherry squeaked and covered her reddening face. She didn't get compliments often – if his calling her a 'wimp' was to be taken that way, still he found her cute and that wasn't common to her ears from boys her age. This Jake boy was very moody on first encounter but she came to see he was quite nice and he was sweet - caring enough to try and help her get over her fear of storms.

_I like him. _She thought to herself, shyly avoiding his gaze.

Jake snickered. "You're blushing - you look like a cherry! Heh, Cherry-faced Sherry, I like it!" Sherry joined him in his fit of laughter.

"I'm glad we're friends, Jake." she said sweetly. "Can you promise we'll always be friends?"

"Uh... sure." Jake said with a sheepish grin, a light blush on his cheeks. "In fact we'll be better than friends - one day you'll be my girl!"

"_Your_ girl?" she repeated, she was confused by what he meant. Sherry was naive, Jake noted this and oddly it didn't bother him. She was just too cute in his opinion.

"Yep. When we're older, you'll be all mine - I promise!"

A second later the sound of someone calling Jake echoed across the area and he hopped to his feet instantly.

"Sounds like my mom noticed I'm gone. I'd better go." he helped her stand beside him and they made their way towards the pond which he came from.

Thunder sounded loudly in the sky and the rain picked up even more. Sherry slipped her sandals on her feet as Jake started around the pond. He turned around to face her, she was soaked and had mud caked on the bottom of her dress, her legs and feet. Still, Jake thought she looked pretty with her blonde hair clinging to her face and her big eyes were narrowed so she could see him in the rain.

"You live over there?" she asked and he nodded to confirm it.

He blushed and reached out for her hand, she obliged him gracefully. "I'll see you again right Sherry?"

She smiled warmly and then nodded to him. "I'll always be here, Jake. We're friends now so I have no reason to go anywhere!" she giggled cutely before adding: "Just promise me you'll come back for me."

Jake smirked. "I promise, I'll meet you whenever I can… under the apple tree." Sherry giggled lightly and offered him the bag full of apples. He took it and sent her one last smile before he started across the pond.

Sherry couldn't wait to see him again.

* * *

_From that day on, they met under the apple trees..._

* * *

Jake and Sherry met every day in school. They played together during recess and even sat together for lunch. Sherry always packed an extra lunch for Jake with her mom's help.

It was funny how they never noticed each other before, but after growing closer they were inseparable. Their teachers noticed and often commented on how cute they were. They appreciated the change that emerged in both of the little ones as of recently.

Jake was once a difficult child, he wouldn't play with others because he found them to be annoying. He sought solitude most of the time, preferring to read alone than run about having fun with others. When he did engage in activities with others, he was an excellent athlete but a poor teammate.

However, since he made friends with the gentle and demure Sherry, he'd become a lot less distant. He didn't socialize with everyone but he was definitely comfortable with being around the tiny blonde.

Sherry on the other hand wasn't difficult, just painfully shy and quiet. Teacher's often struggled to get her to make friends, but not because she chose to be alone - she just wasn't good with other children. Sherry would often sit among the other kids and just crumble while they teased her for childish reasons.

Now that she was friends with Jake, they were elated to see her smile and laugh more often. Her usually pale cheeks were always flushed pink when he was near and whenever she made a move to go anywhere, she would wait patiently for Jake to accompany her.

They seemed to be truly, truly happy.

* * *

Jake chased Sherry around the pond's border for the third time in a row. A few feet ahead of him, she laughed cutely, her hand gathered up some of her sundress so she wouldn't trip on the ends of it. Jake had a sneaky grin upon his young face, he was holding back so the chase could last forever. He was more than capable of catching her but pursuing her was so much fun.

Their fathers were nearby on the hill behind Jake's house, observing the two as they frolicked about with one another. A soft breeze stirred both men's blonde hair as they watched the two for quite a while, neither really looking forward to ending the children's fun.

"Wesker," started Sherry's father, Dr. William Birkin. He was a forensic scientist with much prestige behind his name. His short blonde hair almost a mirror reflection of his daughters, the same applied for their eyes only while little Sherry's looked like water, his were more similar to the sky. "Do you think this is a coincidence? I mean, you and I met when we were young too, now we're partners in business. It seems fate is a devious mistress indeed, isn't she?"

Albert Wesker was Jake's father, a tall man with an aura of mystery to him. He was a straight-faced man with cold piercing eyes hidden behind his black sunglasses. All of his features are sharp, he must maintain this mask – he is the chief of police in their small town. "I will leave that decision in the hands of time, not fate." he said flatly. "Time is capable of anything."

Meanwhile, Sherry ran off into the garden, Jake of course chased behind her. She slowed down once they reached the apple trees and glanced over her shoulder at her red haired friend, a sweet smile came to her face. Jake walked up beside her to poke her in the stomach. She giggled and followed him to have a seat beneath the trees.

"Our dad's know we're friends." Jake said softly as he gazed at the sky above.

Sherry nodded, scooting closer to him to lean onto his shoulder. "Yea, my dad's happy I made a friend. I was surprised that he knew who you were." she said in that quiet, dainty voice of hers.

"Same here, I've lived here for years and the first time I ever saw you was the first day we met." said Jake, he was blushing a bit.

Sherry folded her hands in her lap. "I haven't lived here long, I was with my aunt and she home-schooled me. Wherever she moved, I moved… _Part_ of the reason I don't make friends is because of that..."

Jake pouted. "I don't want you to leave, Sherry. We're best friends and I want us to be together forever."

Sherry felt dreadful, she never wanted to part from Jake either. "I wanna be with you too, Jake. You're fun and funny, I like you a lot." she said honestly, a red hue came to her face.

Jake laughed lightly. "I like you too, Sherry. You're really nice and you're cute too." he wanted to slap himself for admitting that to her. The last time he did he was simply teasing her, but this time he really meant it.

Sherry gasped and hid her face behind her hands. "Y-You're t-teasing me, Jake!"

"No I'm not - I'm serious!"

She tackled him to the ground and they began to wrestle and tickle each other while laughing the entire time. Just then, Wesker and Birkin showed up to retrieve them. It was getting late, the sun was setting in the sky and the two had to get ready for school the next day.

Birkin took Sherry's tiny hand into his. "Come now, sweetheart. You have school in the morning and it's best you get ready for it."

"Jake, you would be wise to do the same." Wesker said sternly as he stood behind his small son.

Jake glanced over his shoulder to him and frowned. "No way! I wanna play with Sherry!"

Wesker remained stoic. "Little Sherry has school as well. Should you endeavor to do the same as she is, you will be able to play with her in school tomorrow."

Jake stared at Sherry, he knew his father was right, but he was starting to feel strange - he was worried that Sherry would move away... and then he'd be alone again. He felt a knot in his stomach at the idea. He hated the other kids, he just wanted Sherry to be with him forever.

_She said she moved wherever her aunt moved. If her aunt moved again… would she go with her? _He wondered and felt a sharp pain in his chest.

Sherry gazed at Jake longingly. She wanted to play more too but she knew her father was just trying to help. If they played all night they wouldn't get to sleep and would miss school.

"It's okay, Jake - I'll see you tomorrow." she said kindly, coming over to give him one more hug before starting to leave with her father. "Goodnight!" she beamed cutely with a wave, her dress fluttered in the breeze as she walked away with Birkin.

_Will I have to see her leave like this again one day...? _He wondered to himself.

Jake watched her go and felt something boiling inside him. He wasn't sure whether it was fear or anger and at his tender age, he attributed it to a feeling of the former. Boys weren't supposed to be afraid of anything as far as he was concerned, so anger was the only logical explanation he could think of.

He felt enraged at the idea of Sherry leaving him.

_She better not ever leave me or I'll hate her forever. She's supposed to stay with me, not leave! _The little boy balled his fists up in frustration.

Wesker observed the sudden change in his son's mood. "Come along, my son. You will see her tomorrow."

Jake followed his father, his attitude remained consistent as he faced the ground. _She's supposed to be mine! We're supposed to stay together forever! How could she leave me...?_

He was just too young to understand.

* * *

A few days later, Sherry came to school with the same bright smile she always did as she imagined the fun she would have with her best friend, Jake. Lately he'd been acting strange but she still wanted to be around him.

Imagine how crushed she felt when she found Jake unwilling to play with her.

She innocently figured he just wasn't in a playful mood at the time, therefore she carried on her day with hopes he would feel better by lunchtime.

Lunchtime came and Jake didn't even sit with her, he sat with a group of boys. She offered him the daily lunch she always would give him...

He snatched it from her and stepped on it right in front of her tear-stricken eyes. "Beat it!" he shouted meanly. "I don't want your food!"

Sherry's eyes were wide in shock. "J-Jake, what's w-wrong? I-I thought we were -"

"_Friends_? Heh! Yeah right! Go away _weirdo_, find someone else who wants to be friends with you!" he spat viciously before returning to laughing and playing around with the other kids at his lunch table.

Sherry felt like her world was shattering in front of her. Jake didn't want to be her friend anymore. _But why...? What did I do? We were..._

Tears streamed down her pale cheeks as she turned on her heels and ran from the lunchroom. She didn't make it very far, the school nurse Ms. Rebecca Chambers stopped her and pulled her into the nurse's office nearby.

The small nurse beckoned the petite little girl towards one of the chairs in her office so she could speak with her. "Sherry, what's the matter sweetheart?" she sat beside the little blonde to provide support.

"J-Jake d-doesn't wanna be my f-friend a-anymore..." she cried softly, choking on tears after every word.

"How come?" Rebecca asked sweetly, trying to comfort her by rubbing her back.

"I don't know!" Sherry cried, covering her face. "W-We were b-best friends but he h-hates me today..."

Rebecca felt sympathy for the little girl. She was so close to Jake and it was visibly tearing at her to hear him say he didn't want to be friends anymore. Rebecca smiled to try and ease her. "Sherry, boys at his age are always going through things. He's probably just upset and unsure how to talk to you. Maybe you should just give him some time, I'm sure he'll come around."

Sherry wiped at her tears and looked desperately to the short haired brunette beside her. "R-Really?"

Rebecca nodded. "If it helps, you're free to stay in here and finish your lunch." Sherry's eyes brightened as well as her smile, Rebecca giggled. "Glad to see you're cheering up and don't worry, I'm sure Jake's going to come around - just you wait."

The little fairy-like child smiled sweetly and started to pull the components of her own lunch from her bag. Her smile slowly began to fade. "I-I tried to give Jake a lunch a-and he stepped on it." a lone tear escaped her.

Rebecca moved to sit behind her desk, hoping to finish her own lunch after she was interrupted by the little girl's cries. She glanced over her shoulder as she took a bite of her turkey sandwich. She felt terrible seeing Sherry so hurt. "It's... going to be okay sweetheart, you'll see."

Sherry hoped she was right. _I know, I'll stop by the apple trees when I get out of school - we always meet there! _She bit into her peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a small smile etched on her face.

* * *

Sherry had stayed out there for hours underneath their favorite apple tree.

Jake never showed.

The next day at school, Jake gave her the same cold treatment. He ignored her and threw away the lunch she'd made him and like the day before, Sherry ran away in tears to Ms. Chamber's office.

She didn't want to give up on him - not after he promised they'd be friends forever.

She returned to the garden every day and waited for him.

A week went by.

Then two weeks went by.

A month passed...

Sherry finally realized what Jake was doing.

He was rejecting her... and their friendship.

She'd lost her first real friend and she never knew why. They were supposed to be friends forever, she was supposed to be his girl one day but now that seemed to be forgotten.

As time went on Sherry began to see their moments among the apple trees as just that - moments. With time they would fade away to be lost in memories of the better times in her life. She was all alone again - she had no one to play with, no one to make her smile.

All she had was memories.

* * *

Jake was simply trying to prepare himself for her departure. He wanted to be ready so that once she did leave, he wouldn't be hurt by it because he'd have new friends.

But his new friends weren't like Sherry. They liked to bully others and get in trouble - they were a lot like him [trouble makers] and he was okay with that.

Every time Sherry came to him and begged to be his friend, he felt his heartache. He wanted to be with her again - but he couldn't.

If she ever left him, he'd be hurt and alone.

He was just trying to make things easier for himself. He wasn't aware that Sherry was hurting as bad as he was - at least he wouldn't let himself be. Instead, he ignored her and shooed her away before those weird feelings got the better of him.

He told himself she was just a girl. She was just like the rest, annoying, whiny and a bore to be around.

But she wasn't. Sherry wasn't annoying, sure she cried a lot but she also was cute and liked to play. She wasn't boring at all - she was tons of fun, a lot more entertaining than the crowd he was with but he couldn't admit that.

Admitting that meant that he cared about her and if he cared then he would be hurt to see her leave him.

Sherry didn't know but Jake did return to the garden every day at the same time she did, but he hid from her so she wouldn't see him. He was a master of stealth so he was able to do so without any detection from her. He listened to her cry and whenever she did, he would force himself not to care.

Her tears always affected him, he wanted to protect her forever and keep her with him but he couldn't.

The day that Sherry stopped visiting the garden was the last time he felt grief.

Instead, he felt resentment. She had given up on their friendship too easily for his tastes. She was weak and he could tell she never cared about him - she used him to keep herself happy.

What Jake once felt for Sherry was innocent affection, now he was bitter to her.

He told himself he hated her.

To prove it to himself, he developed a better method of hurting her like she'd hurt him.

* * *

_[Jake, 11 / Sherry, 10]_

* * *

Sherry was quietly coloring alone in art class. It had been a whole school year since she and Jake stopped being friends so she had made some steps to associate more often but they always turned out to be with girls who thought she was weird because she loved the earth.

Eventually, she did make a few friends. The first was Yoko Suzuki, a Japanese girl who was quiet and studious like herself. The second friend she made was Finn Macauley, another social outcast kind of like herself. He was really nice and had a love for science just like her. The last was Quint Cetcham, a super genius [according to himself] with a love for anime and video games.

Sherry and Finn had only been friends for a few weeks [Finn was first just a good friend of Quint's] but she, Quint and Yoko were going on a month now and were always together, and especially at lunch so Finn was welcomed with open arms.

Today, she'd picked up the nerve to want to surprise Finn with an extra lunch she brought from home. He never seemed to have his own lunch [he was a nervous wreck every morning while trying to be on time for school so he would forget it] and he would lightly imply how he disliked the school food so she figured she'd help him out.

"Here Finn," she said sweetly as she passed a brown bag to him. "It's a lunch, you know, since you always forget yours."

Finn's eyes lit up as he looked at her sideways. "Wow, you're too nice Sherry - thank you so much." he peeked into the bag and got ready to pull out a sandwich when he noticed the math teacher was signaling him over. "Um, I gotta go see Ms. Ashcroft. " he said sheepishly. "You mind holding onto it 'til I come back?"

Sherry nodded with an understanding smile. Finn stood up, anxious to hurry and see the teacher so he could get back and enjoy the rest of his lunch with the others. The group watched him race awkwardly towards Ms. Ashcroft as she waited impatiently by the auditorium's entrance.

"Aww..." Quint whined from beside Yoko, they were sitting across from Sherry while she was originally sitting next to Finn. "Why didn't you bring me a lunch, Sherry?"

Sherry blushed. "Um, I didn't know you wanted one - next time I'll try to pack another." she glanced over to her Asian friend who was occupying herself by skimming Quint's game magazine. "Would you like one, Yoko?"

She looked up and shook her head, her dark eyes blinked innocently behind her large framed glasses. "No thanks, I usually have something picked by my dad before I leave so I just eat that. Thanks anyway."

"Oh boy..." Quint voiced out which caused the girls to question him. "Here comes trouble."

Sherry looked behind her and felt a knot in her tiny stomach. It was Jake and his new friends Chris Redfield, Steve Burnside, Keith Lumley, Piers Nivans, and Carlos Oliveria. They were a bunch of mean little boys, the only one who didn't bully someone or pick on them was Piers but that was because he had a very strict father...

Sherry felt her nerves kick in as the group neared, odds were high they would say something mean to all of them. She fidgeted with her bagged lunch, unable to open it and eat because just the sight of Jake still stirred her into an internal battle against tears. She could practically feel his eyes burning holes into her skull as he approached.

She let out a mousy cry as Jake forced her to slide over by pushing her roughly with his hip. She regretted ever taking the edge seat...

He glared sharply at her and she shriveled up, glancing back and forth from the bags she held tightly in her arms to him. Keith smacked Quint in the back of the head and then stole his magazine to run around dangling it in front of the entire lunchroom making the other kids laugh.

Sherry felt Jake push her over even more and she begged him to stop. Chris took a seat next to him while laughing at Keith. Carlos purposefully hovered over Yoko, making her extremely uncomfortable. Piers just stood by looking mildly amused.

Jake stared the timid and visibly shaken Sherry dead in the face. She was trembling as she tried to scoot over even more but every time she did he came closer.

"J-Jake... stop. G-Go away." she managed weakly, tearing away from his gaze.

"That lunch for me? You mean you still ain't quit?" he teased bitterly, when he reached for it Sherry tore away from him, standing on her feet and backing away from him entirely.

"Th-This is for _Finn_..." she replied defensively. "Now leave me a-alone."

Jake's brows elevated and Sherry's breath caught in her throat when she saw a dark look to his eyes childish eyes. "_Finn_? You got a crush on that _loser_?"

"_C-Crush_?" Sherry was taken aback, a blush of embarrassment came to her pale cheeks.

Jake slammed his fist on the table and stood up, taking her backpack into his hands. He unzipped her bag and tipped it over, pouring all the contents onto the floor. She just watched him, horror written on her innocent and youthful features. "J-Jake... _why_?" she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "How could you...?"

He didn't answer, he just threw her bag into the air and stormed from the table over to where he and his friends usually resided. Her bag landed the garbage nearby, everyone in the lunchroom erupted into laughs except Yoko and Quint.

Eventually the rest of the boys went to join Jake, leaving the three alone for the rest of lunch. Sherry looked devastated as her drawings, poems, and other belongings were scattered across the tables and floors. The other kids didn't care, they walked around stepping on them and one even poured the rest of their milk out over her bag that was in the garbage.

Yoko looked saddened, she wished there was something she could have done to help but she was just as helpless as Sherry was. Quint was visibly angered but he was no fool, he was much shorter than those boys and they would wedgie him and throw spit balls at him all day if he did anything.

They were helpless to do anything.

When Finn returned, he was shocked by the scene. He went to comfort Sherry but she was unresponsive as she tried to pull her bag from the garbage. The kids just laughed mercilessly at her and Finn decided to help her, he didn't care if he was teased too, she was a sweet girl and she didn't deserve this.

As he pulled it out, he cringed at the food contents and wet milk that covered her denim blue and beige bag. It was usually so clean and cute to see on her but now it was a nasty mess. "Who did this, Sherry?"

Sherry said nothing, she glanced quickly to Jake and saw he had his back to her. She started to cry again, unconcerned that the bag was ruining her clothes as she pulled it against herself. She shoved the bags of lunch into Finn's arms, picked up as many torn and ruined papers as she could and stormed out the lunchroom.

She couldn't believe she and Jake actually were friends at some point. The Jake that would purposefully hurt her feelings was nothing like the Jake she knew before, the one who chased her and played with her, vowing to protect her. Now he was escalating from just giving her the cold shoulder to actually...

Bullying her.

_It's just like my old school... _she thought as she raced to Ms. Chamber's office like she always did. Luckily the woman was always kind enough to let her inside.

_Maybe I should just go back to homeschooling with Auntie Hunnigan…_ she thought as her heart broke. _I just can't take this… especially not from Jake._

He was no better than the bullies at her other school.

Jake Muller-Wesker was a monster.

* * *

_How dare she bring him a lunch?! Is she trying to replace me?! _Jake thought as he watched her leave the lunchroom. He felt good, it felt great to make her cry. That was her punishment for picking up crushes on losers.

If he hadn't stopped being her friend, she would still be sitting with him and he'd tell her every day how pretty she was and how much he loved her lunches.

He missed her.

It pissed him off to see her smiling and having fun with other people. She was his - they had no right to even be around her.

_I'll show her. I'll make that stupid girl see how serious this is. _

Sherry emerged from the girl's restroom with her backpack covered in the garbage bag the school had lent her. She was going to have to have her mom wash it when she went home as well her clothes which were also stained with chocolate milk where it dripped from her bag onto her.

The office had just called her down to come home much to her relief. After what Jake had put her through, she wanted to go home and just stay there.

She made her way towards the office when Jake emerged out of thin air. He cornered her beside the girl's restroom and stared harshly at her, he was angry and it scared her to no end.

"J-Jake..." she squeaked, trying to get passed him but he blocked her path.

"So, you like losers, _wimp_?" he snarled harshly, his youthful face sporting a permanent scowl. "I'll treat you like a loser every single day - understand? I'll scare off all your friends and embarrass you for being a wimp. I might even stick you out in a thunderstorm just to watch you cry!"

Sherry was taken aback entirely. Her mouth hung open in confusion and disbelief. "W-Why Jake? Wh-What did I do to you?" she whimpered meekly.

"...I hate you." with that, he walked away leaving the brokenhearted Sherry alone.

* * *

_The First Year of Middle School..._

_[Jake, 12 / Sherry 11]_

* * *

Jake became a vicious bully for her. He was torturing her and Sherry was beginning to see no way for her to escape it. Everywhere she went in the school, he would follow her and knock her books from her hand or slam her locker shut while she was putting things into it.

He even started throwing paper balls at her in class, dousing her locker with milk, pouring water down the back of her shirt with his water bottle and showering her with water balloons - even in the winter.

They were in middle school now and it just seemed like Jake had no intent on leaving Sherry alone.

Poor little Sherry was at her wits end. The school didn't care to help her, siting the fact that Jake never hit her or hurt her as a reason for her to just bear with it, they assured her he would stop eventually but it was all just too much.

The last straw came in the middle of their sixth grade year.

It was February and of course, the youth of the school were pairing off for Valentine's Day as the school was hosting a dance for the sixth graders to enjoy.

Everyone had a 'date', everyone it seemed but Sherry, Finn, Yoko and Quint.

Sherry had saw with her own two eyes as Jake asked one of the popular girls named Alexia Ashford to go with him, of course she agreed - Jake was much taller now in sixth grade and he was surely going to become even more suave in the years to come. It would be a lie for Sherry to say she wasn't jealous.

Despite the hell he was putting her through, she still couldn't let the past go...

She was slowly but surely making an effort and things were mellowing out for her, but she knew deep in her heart that she would never be over him, he was her everything a few years ago and she just couldn't forget that...

Sherry sat in the lunchroom beside Quint as they waited for Yoko and Finn to arrive. The group had a table in the corner of the room to avoid much attention even though they were always caught anyway. Sherry sat closest to the wall, she'd learned well that Jake would push her around if she wasn't away from the edge.

She saw him enter with Alexia and turned her head, unable to bear watching him with another girl. Just then Yoko and Finn came into sight and she beckoned them over with a smile.

"Hey, erm, Sherry?" she blinked at Quint as he nervously fiddled with something in his bag. "I uh, got you this." he took out an artificial rose and handed it to her.

She gasped and observed it with a pleasant smile. "W-wow, it's pretty - where'd you get it?" she asked shyly admiring it with a glint to her eyes. Her love for flowers was strong as ever.

"I uh got it from a store." he answered awkwardly. "I know how much you like flowers and I uh wanted you to have it..."

"Wow," she breathed, ghosting over the petals - fake or not, she appreciated his kindness. "Thanks, Quint - I love it."

He beamed. "You do? Awesome! Okay, I just have one request..."

"What's that?" she asked with a slight tilt of her head.

"Would you um... you know, mind coming to the Valentine's dance with me?" Sherry blushed and covered her face with her hands, careful not to poke herself with the rose. Quint laughed at her shy behavior and gently tried to pry her hands away. "Oh come on, please? We're friends right? It couldn't hurt!"

Sherry finally pushed herself to nod and accept his invitation. Quint felt like doing back flips. He was actually going to have a date and it was going to be awesome.

Yoko and Finn arrived to the table and Quint shared the big news.

"Funny, I was just asking Yoko to be my date." Finn said blush.

Quint and Sherry shot Yoko a look and in response she nodded stiffly, implying she had accepted his offer. Sherry felt all giddy inside knowing she was going to the dance with all her friends.

"Well, well, well..." came an annoying and high-pitched voice.

Sherry cringed upon noticing Alexia and her friends Jessica Sherawat and Ashley Graham hovering by them. They weren't the only ones present, there was also Keith and Carlos accompanying Jake.

"Looks like the losers are pairing up for the dance." Alexia giggled. "Too bad you won't be allowed, you have to be good looking or else we just might throw you out."

They all laughed except Jake who kept his hard gaze on Sherry's trembling form the entire time.

"What are you talking about ash-crack?" Quint challenged.

"Watch it, nerd." Keith spat but Quint didn't seem to care.

"You're just mad because you know Sherry's the prettiest girl in the sixth grade!"

Silence enveloped the entire lunchroom.

Sherry felt like she was going to throw up. "Quint, please, don't say things that aren't true..." she lowered her gaze to the rose in her hand.

* * *

Jake agreed with Quint wholeheartedly about Sherry's looks. She was always amazing to look at in his eyes. Three years down the line and she still looked like an otherworldly nymph.

He hated her. He hated that he still freaking liked her.

"Heh! Please! As if a little sack of garbage like her could ever compete with girls that look like us!" Jessica retorted, snorting in disgust at Sherry.

Jake wanted to snatch her hair off her head.

"You said it." Ashley chimed in. "Look at her, she looks more like a boy than anyone I've ever seen with that short duck hair of hers. She's more like an animal than a person!"

Jake slammed his fist onto the table, startling everyone. "What's wrong, Jay-Jay?" Alexia asked in an awfully fake concerned voice.

Jake ignored her. He hated her more than any other girl he'd ever met but at least she was proving useful. He didn't miss the sad glances Sherry made his way whenever he was with Alexia, his plan was working it seemed.

He was only taking Alexia to the dance because he wanted to hurt Sherry's feelings by going out with a girl who hated her. He'd rather burn Alexia alive than actually be with her - she was annoying, bratty and spoiled, everything Sherry wasn't.

Jake noticed the rose in Sherry's hands, he felt that familiar fire blaze within him and in a split second, he pushed past Ashley and snatched the fake flower, ripped the bud off the stem and threw it into the air feeling quite satisfied when Sherry began to cry.

Quint had no right to give Sherry a fake anything. She was his, end of story.

"Next time, buy her a real flower, dummy!" he teased meanly. "And when you do, I'll even break that one!"

He and his friends walked away, spitting nasty things about Sherry and her friends. Jake was no fool, he was well aware that these girls were jealous of Sherry - they always talked about her and for stupid reasons but he decided he would bear with it for the time being. After all, everything would be fine so long as they didn't put their hands on her.

No matter what, no one was going to hurt her while he was around. He made sure to protect her from physical harm because Sherry was his to touch.

Sherry was _his_.

* * *

The day of the Valentine's dance came, Sherry and her friends were both excited and nervous. It would be the first time they all actually decided to go to a school event so they awaited the experience, hoping things would go well and their bullies would be too occupied to bother them.

Sherry wore her favorite a pink short-sleeved dress that stopped just below her knees with ruffles at the end. A black camisole was worn over it and her mom had styled her hair by placing a cute black headband with a pink heart on it into her short blonde tresses. She also wore black tights and cute shiny shoes.

She felt confident and pretty as she walked into the school's gym.

At first, the day was going extremely well. She had danced with Quint and Finn a few times before they all convinced Yoko to join them. It was a blast.

That was until Jake and his 'posse' showed up.

Finn got splashed in the eyes by Jessica with a cup of punch – causing him to scream and beg for help but the others kids just watched, petrified. Chris and Carlos started dropping candy into Yoko's shirt and then stole her glasses, rendering her helpless.

Quint was carried to the dumpster and Keith tried to dump him inside it but one of the teachers stopped him immediately. Sherry screamed when Jake grabbed at her, her tiny form stood no chance against the bigger youth as he cornered her to say mean things.

The same teacher that caught Keith noticed Sherry's distress and hauled Jake off to the office.

Sherry thought she could breathe a sigh of relief but the moment Jake left she was confronted by Alexia and her friends. They pushed her into the girl's restroom nearby and began pushing her around - pulling at her short hair, kicking her and they even ripped her dress.

As a final means of degradation, Alexia slapped her to the floor. Sherry laid there on the cold dirty tiles, holding the cheek that burned. Alexia smirked as all of her friends laughed.

"Get over it," she spat venomously. "Jake will never like trash like you."

She spit on her and then the little girl's piled out of the room.

Sherry had never felt so worthless. Alexia was right, she should forget it. She and Jake were over, they would never be close again.

_Because I'm trash..._

* * *

He noticed the first day of her absence, then the second and finally she was missing for over two weeks.

Jake visited the garden every day, waiting for her. On the third day, he watched her Japanese friend Yoko pay a visit to her house only to leave a few moments later, visibly saddened.

Eventually he built up the courage to ask his father about her. Their parents were still friends despite their breaking apart and his dad expressed his contempt for his son's behavior towards her daily but Jake ignored him, he didn't care about her.

The day he asked about her was the day reality hit him.

In the end, his assumptions and actions to prevent his heartache were justified... right?

No.

Because no matter how hard it was to admit, Jake was devastated.

She had gone to live with her aunt, she would be homeschooled again.

She was gone. Sherry was gone. _His_ Sherry was gone...

Jake walked into the garden and to the apple trees. He glanced at the sky as storm clouds rolled in. Just a few years ago he had sat beneath this very tree with her – his best friend, a girl he actually liked more than apples...

They'd played here, shared secrets, laughed.

He had promised she would be his girl one day. He promised they'd be together forever because she was his. She belonged to him.

But the truth was, she didn't belong to him anymore because she was gone.

And he was all alone.

Little Jake laid there in the wet grass as the rain fell, it was as if heaven was torturing him with memories of the little fairy he adored...

A lone tear escaped him and merged with the rain drops on his lightly freckled cheeks, then another… and another.

The thunder that roared thereafter overpowered his heartbroken cries as he begged the heaven's to bring her back to him. He collapsed to the ground, pouring his heart out and begging for his friend to return.

The response he was given wasn't what he expected, but it gave him a bit of hope he'd get another chance. Where he landed was an object she'd worn the first day they met.

A golden locket.

He put it into his pocket and left the apple trees.

Jake would hold onto this locket because he could feel it in his heart that Sherry had left that for him to let him know she still cared.

_One day, we'll meet again..._

* * *

A/N: THERE'S CHAPTER ONE! :D

Poor Sherry - she just wants things to go back to normal and retain her bond with Jake, and poor Jake, his boyish foolishness has driven away the girl he absolutely adored. They just don't understand each other because they're so young XD

If some things seem odd it's for a reason. A lot of moments in this chap are something of a revelation or backtracking of events leading up to these two's relationship in the future chaps. There's a lot more that has happened between them and a TON more to be revealed about their personal lives and stuff as well as the significance of the apple tree for them, her locket, etc. The upcoming chapters will provide an explanation for all of these loose ends.

I'm really excited for this fic. I originally thought this may be 3 to 5 chapters long but I'm starting to think it could stretch longer, at max between 8 and 10, I'm leaning towards 8.

To fans of _A Remedy for Lonely Hearts_, don't worry I'm working on the next chapter for that and it should be up soon. In the meantime I hope everyone enjoys this!

If you have any questions or concerns, be sure to let me know and please R&R! I plan to update soon!

-Vio


	2. We Made A Promise

_**...We made a promise...**_

* * *

[_Present Time_]

Sophomore (10th grade) Year

[_Jake, 16 / Sherry, 15_]

* * *

Of all the high schools in the city, Raccoon City High School was one of the most prestigious. It was a very large establishment with many extracurricular activities and graduation rates far exceeding the norm. Many students tried hard to get into the school but alas few were actually accepted.

Sherry Birkin wasn't very artistic and she definitely wasn't good with athletics or music but she was a scholar in just about anything pertaining to science, literature and arithmetic. This was what her mother and her teacher Ingrid Hunnigan had instilled in her and she was prepared to use everything she learned to her advantage.

She was excited to be starting 10th grade in Raccoon City High School with others around her age. Through all the years of homeschooling she was academically a champion but she lacked interaction with peers. Now she was about to get her chance to do just that after years of being away.

* * *

Jake leaned back casually in his desk chair. He was sick of Mr. Vester going on and on about boring math stuff and what he and the rest of his classmates could expect for the rest of the school year from him. Jake was ready for lunch so he could get his first break of the day. He had classes non-stop since 8:00 am and it was nearing noon. Jake hated the first day of the school year because all the teachers were so focused on introductions and he didn't have time for it.

It felt like such a Middle School thing to do...

_Not like I care about anyone in here so I have no reason to wanna get to know 'em anyway. _Jake thought to himself as he stared uninterestedly at the board.

Finally the bell rang and class was dismissed. Jake was the first out the door, heading to the other side of the building [the school was that big] to the auditorium.

He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and made a slow stride to his destination when his childhood buddies Keith Lumley and Carlos Oliveria showed up. They were laughing about something and Jake was a bit too starved to worry about it.

That is until something caught his ear.

"Yeah, you remember her right? She's a _10_ now!"

"Really? I don't believe that. No way Sherry came here - we ain't seen her in years!"

Jake stopped and shot them a look. "What are you two talking about?"

Carlos chuckled. "Hey, you ain't gonna believe this but you remember that girl you used to pick on in 6th grade? You know, the blonde with the short hair?"

"Sherry." Jake confirmed with an intense stare.

"Yeah - you know she goes here now?" the Hispanic teen wore a look of mischief. "She's a _fox_ – no joke! Nice rack and long legs!"

Jake looked unimpressed by his friend's statement."You are such a douchebagyou know that?" he spat and recommenced his journey to the lunchroom.

"Ah, whatever!" Carlos retorted. "You'll like her when you see her - just watch! She's a _babe_!"

"I really don't care." Jake stated with an edge to his voice.

"Oh yeah, cuz you always got that Jessica chick on your arm. I guess you like 'em skinny and annoying." Keith drawled out with a roll of his eyes. "You got terrible taste, son."

Jake ignored him. _I don't care what Sherry looks like. It's been years since we saw each other, time made her dead to me._

* * *

Sherry shivered a bit as she hovered in front of the sink in the girl's restroom. She gazed upon herself as she stared into the mirror. She was a big girl now, much taller [though still dainty in a way], much smarter and she'd like to think she looked better too...

So why was everyone staring at her like she had two heads?

She had four classes so far and in each and every one of them, she felt like the other students were staring at her. She could even hear some whisper things about her – mostly the guys would but she caught a few girls glaring at her from time to time.

All of her teachers were nice so far but she felt absolutely nervous when they all required for everyone to stand up and introduce themselves for the long school year ahead. Every time it was her turn she fumbled a bit with her words but in the end it seemed that she was well accepted by the teacher and her classmates – even though they never stopped murmuring around her.

Despite the strange treatment she was receiving, she had met one nice person. In her English class she met a girl named Jill Valentine, she seemed mature, was quite friendly and had a dry sense of humor that Sherry liked. The delicate blonde had interacted with quite a few others but Jill was one in particular she felt comfortable with.

Still, Sherry couldn't help but wonder why she was being gawked at so much.

She thought she'd dressed nice for her first day in the high school setting. She was wearing a white blouse, a blue high-waist not quite miniskirt with pleats, a brown belt, nude tights and brown flats. She even wore some jewelry for the first time in a while…

_Mom said I look great so I shouldn't worry too much I guess. _She thought. _Besides, Jill never said I looked bad, in fact she called me cute. I'm just overthinking this..._

Her stomach growled and she giggled at herself. "Guess I better get going or this could get annoying."

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_**[Jake, 9 / Sherry 8]**_

* * *

"Look Sherry!" little Jake shouted excitably. He jumped into the air and reached for a pretty monarch butterfly, catching it in his hands. "Look what I have!"

Little Sherry was watering the petunia's and pansies with a ceramic watering can. Her mother had these flowers in baskets surrounding a small birdhouse for decoration. She was just a few feet away from Jake so she was able to see him catch the butterfly. Once she finished her task, she came over quickly to join him by the pond.

"Show me, Jake." she said gently prying his hands open. When he opened them the two were saddened to see Jake had crushed it... it twitched as it slowly let go of its life. "Oh my God... Jake..." Sherry held a sad countenance as she looked to her friend.

Jake seemed more shocked than upset. "I... I don't know how I killed it..." he voiced out.

Sherry cupped her hands beneath his and he dropped the now dead insect into her palms. She walked over to the pond and placed it on a small water lily pad, she thumped it and the flower started further into the pond, carrying the deceased along with it.

The little red haired boy came and crouched down beside her, he felt remorseful. He never meant to kill the butterfly. "I'm sorry, Sherry... I just wanted to catch it..."

The petite blonde offered him a warm smile. "I know Jake, but you have to understand that just because something's pretty doesn't mean you should catch it. Things are much more beautiful when they are free. As long as it's free it can come and go as it pleases, every single day." she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Why do you think the birds come here every day? And the little turtles, froggies ... and butterflies?"

"Because they're free?" Jake more questioned than answered.

Little Sherry giggled. "Yes, and also because they know that what they want will always be here when they return. The butterflies know the flowers are here to stay. The frogs know the pond isn't going anywhere. And you know that I'll wait for you every day. We're just like them, as long as we're free we can come and go whenever we please."

Jake blinked at her, a blush crept onto his cheeks. "You'll be here every day because you know I'll come see you."

Sherry nodded. "I know we'll always meet up under that tree." she gestured to the garden of tall apple trees, at one in particular. "So long as you meet me there, I'll always come back. Every single day, that's a promise!"

The young Jake felt fuzzy inside. "I promise I'll always meet you, Sherry."

They stared out at the pond as the sun began to set.

Another day over, but they'd meet again the next day.

_As long as that promise is kept._

* * *

[_Present Day_]

* * *

Lunch went by far too quickly for Jake's taste. Now he had to go straight to a Economics class with some dude named Mr. Kennedy. He'd heard the teacher was a ladies' man or some shit - Jake didn't care, he just needed to pass this class and move on.

_Better not be boring as shit. _He thought with a groan.

He walked into the class and immediately wanted to slip back out. It was her.

Jessica.

He never could get rid of her. She followed him all the way from middle school, proclaiming herself as his girlfriend after he dumped Alexia in 6th grade.

Alexia actually handled the break up well. She started focusing on her schoolwork and eventually skipped a few grades. Last he heard she was in college now.

It was just crazy that as soon as they split, Jessica started obsessing over him. He eventually caved in and was her 'boyfriend' in 9th grade but he got sick of her endless thirst for attention and broke things off. She never quit, the entire summer she constantly came by his home to whine to his mom about him mistreating her.

He had no idea why his mom liked her ass so much. She was like a cockroach he just couldn't kill.

Now he had a class with her.

_I'll just switch my classes tomorrow. That way I can avoid her annoying ass. _He thought as he took a seat in the back of the classroom.

Jessica saw him and waved flirtatiously. He ignored her and growled when she started towards him, luckily Keith arrived and flew past her, claiming the seat beside Jake with a cocky grin. Jake smirked, pleased with his friends' stunt that seemed to further piss Jessica off.

"Haha!" he teased nastily, killing over with laughter. "Damn honey take the hint - he don't want yo' whack ass!"

Jessica knocked his desk over and shot him the darkest look possible. "Don't get in my way." she sent Jake a falsely sweet smile. "Jake... we got along so well back in middle school and our relationship was so good - why can't things go back to normal?"

Jake looked out the window, ignoring her very existence. Jessica didn't like this, she slammed her palms on his desk and let out a huff - this however still did not get a reaction from the guy she liked so much. He was used to her temper, her conniving ways, her ego - he didn't care for her at all.

"Shoo fly, he don't want you no more." Keith stated coolly, he'd picked up his desk and had his feet kicked up on it.

Jessica twitched and shot them both another dark look before turning away and taking a seat right in front of them. Jake let out a loud groan and got up. Jessica perked up as he came around to stand beside her. Unfortunately he wasn't joining her, instead he grabbed her things and put them at the desk farthest away from him and Keith, and then returned to sit down. He was completely void of emotion as he breezed past her stunned body.

Before she could act again, the bell rang and the other students piled in, filling up the entire row in front and beside Jake and Keith. She had no choice but to claim the seat where he'd placed her stuff.

Keith high-fived Jake and the two buds chuckled together. "Man, I am so glad you ain't with **that** no more. She's annoying as hell! What made you claim that last year bro?"

Jake shrugged. "Bored I guess. She really ain't even my type."

Keith grinned. "What's your type then?"

The redhead rolled his eyes. "I'm not saying a thing." Keith tried prying at him but Jake just dismissed him with a wave.

As far as Jake was concerned, it wasn't even Keith's business.

Just then the teacher walked in... 10 minutes late. He was of average height, slim build and had dirty blonde hair that contrasted with his rather dark clothing. Jake realized all the females in the class were swooning over this wannabe rock star - even Jessica, though this pleased him.

He'd love for her to move on and stalk someone else – and not just date them to make him jealous because every time she tried that it never worked anyway.

"Hello class, I'm Mr. Kennedy and welcome to -"

"You're late!" one of the students shouted over him.

"Oh shut it - he's too fine to worry 'bout time." said a girl up front.

The girls in the room began to laugh and the teacher innocently smiled as the guys except Keith, Jake and a few others glared at him.

"Why's everyone hating on the dude? Is it cuz he got James Bond swag?" Keith wondered aloud with a hint of amusement. "These girls ain't got a chance with him anyway so why trip?"

"Stupid, that is all." Jake replied listlessly.

"I know I'm late and I apologize. I didn't get any breakfast this morning so I made a quick stop but then I got back here and had a run in with another teacher – we had this terribly boring conversation about how awful the school's coffee machine is in the lounge over here and…" he realized everyone was just staring, uninterested so he sighed. "And they say I'm terrible…"

The handsome teacher took a seat behind his desk and began to go through some papers. He got up and stood before the class again. "Alright everyone, welcome to Economics, I'm going to call out names and I need you to confirm you're present. If you're not... well, I guess you won't say anything at all now will you?" he sighed again.

_What a loser. _Jake thought with a smirk. _Then again, he might be amusing with that lame and dry ass humor of his._

Mr. Kennedy began to call out names. All the girls answered him in dramatic ways to gain his attention and Jake would just roll his eyes, all these years down the line and he still found most girls whiny and annoying. Jessica kept sending him glances from her seat and every single time she did he'd contemplate banging his head on the desk. He wanted her to disappear.

"Jessica Sherawat?"

Jessica smirked. "I'm here, Mr. Kennedy - _whenever_ you need me." her flirting couldn't have been more obvious. Keith made a puking sound and Jake chuckled quietly.

"I don't think I need an adolescents _help_ with anything, except taking attendance." he said flatly without looking in her direction. "But thank you for the _unpleasant_ offer, young lady."

Keith put his head down, banged on the desk with his fist, trying to stifle his laughter. Jake was more than amused - he was sure he liked this teacher. He had no qualms with a teacher willing to say whatever the hell he was thinking, be it negative or not.

"Quint Cetcham?"

"Right here boss guy!"

Keith looked over to the row behind Jessica and saw the now older Quint. He'd gone from a scrawny little kid to actually gaining a little meat on his bones. He still had those 'Dumbo ears' as Keith called them. He let out a laugh. "Well I'll be damned - super nerd is in here with us! First Carlos sees that Sherry chick, now we see Quint! It's flashback day ain't it?"

Jake's ears perked up at the mention of her name again.

"Jake Muller?"

Jake nodded his head to Mr. Kennedy and turned back to look out the window beside him. A few more names were called and finally it seemed like the teacher was finished until...

"Sherry Birkin?"

The red haired teenager stiffened.

"Sherry Birkin?" Mr. Kennedy said again, glancing around the class.

"Oh shit, you mean Sherry's in this class too?" Keith threw his head back in bewilderment. "Wow... well at least we get to see her. Carlos was serious about her looks and I wanna see what's the deal." he snickered completely unaware of Jake's surprise.

"Hm, well if she's not here then -"

Just then, the classroom door flew open and in popped a tall older male with a beard and a girl.

A girl with short platinum blonde hair.

* * *

Sherry entered the room on high alert, expecting to be punished for being tardy. Her shoes almost made her slip but she steadied herself and stood up straight before the teacher, an awkward smile on her pretty face.

She'd gotten lost trying to the find the classroom, it was on the other side of the building behind the auditorium and across from the parking lot in another section of the freakishly large establishment. Confusing? Absolutely.

Luckily she ran into this nice tall man with a beard.

His name was Barry Burton, he was the school's vice principle. He was apparently on his way to the teacher's lounge and was kind enough to bring her to her destination.

He said something about her looking like his daughter... Either way she appreciated his kindness and followed behind him.

The entire class was quiet and once again everyone was staring at her - even the teacher. He looked to have just arrived himself, she guessed he was in the middle of an introduction.

"Vice principle Burton, what brings you here?" Mr. Kennedy wondered aloud.

Mr. Burton grinned kindly. "This little angel said she couldn't find the class so I'm just delivering her to you safely." he pointed back to Sherry with his thumb.

Mr. Kennedy let out a small chuckle. "Well, thank you sir."

Mr. Burton nodded and started to take his leave but not before shaking Sherry's tiny hand in his. "Good luck!" he chimed in a chipper mood. The demure blonde thanked him again before he exited, closing the door with a soft click.

She turned to the teacher with a nervous grin. "Um, I'm sorry I'm so late…"

_How embarassing... _She thought, her eyes traveled to the floor as she fidgeted where she stood. _Everyone's staring again._

Mr. Kennedy smiled again after what felt like hours. "It's no problem. What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Sherry Birkin."

"Welcome to Economics, Miss Birkin."

Jake was stiff and presented an emotionless mask to the world as he studied Sherry. He stared at her and felt butterflies in his stomach for a moment until he fought them off. He tried to look away from her but he couldn't. She'd grown up, little Sherry Birkin had become a lady.

"Wow… Carlos wasn't lyin'!" Keith started with a smirk. "She's fine as wine - and check out her melons bro!" Jake shot him a dark look and Keith was obviously taken aback by it. "Hey, you alright?"

"Shut up already." Jake growled turning to look out the window. "She's just a girl, yeesh." From the corner of his eye he saw Sherry take seat a few rows ahead of him.

He felt a familiar anger boiling inside him when he saw her wave cheerfully to Quint.

_She's still friends with him... _he sighed irritably. He'd grown out of this. He'd forgotten about her... _Who am I kidding? I've waited years for her to come back..._

He had so many questions to ask her. Why did she leave? Was he to blame for it? Did she even remember him? Why is it that after all of these years he still couldn't let her go...?

Mr. Kennedy began to explain some class rules and regulations but Jake wasn't really paying attention. His thoughts were elsewhere. He sent one more glance in her direction and felt odd... he couldn't explain this feeling.

_What is this?_

Sherry was happy to see Quint. It was incredible to see a face from the past. She wondered was Yoko at the school, or even Finn.

_What if Jake is here too? _This made her heart stir.

No matter how hard she tried over the years, she just couldn't let him go...

* * *

Sherry exited the class last, she wanted to formerly apologize to her handsome blonde teacher. Mr. Kennedy was very kind, he told her not to worry - he was a tardy person himself. She felt relieved but promised it wouldn't happen again, and then she left the classroom.

Now she had to hunt for her next one.

She had gym next. She smiled knowing that the gym was the biggest part of the school, she'd seen it numerous times while searching for her other classes. She remembered she'd taken a detour through it to get to her 2nd period class. The pretty blonde felt elated remembering she could slip through this area again to make it to her destination.

The halls were cleared on the side of the school she was moving towards. The other grades were either already in class or having their lunch - the school had odd classes assigned for each grade.

Her shoes echoed along the hard floors as she walked, she hugged her purse against her chest, her bag full of notebooks was flung over one shoulder. She desperately tried to remember which way to turn as she reached the end of the hall. She shrugged to herself and started right, hoping she wasn't going to get lost again.

She squealed to herself when she saw the gymnasium in sight. She started to pick up speed but a blur came out in front of her. She shrieked as she tried to stop herself from crashing into them but that's just what she did.

Her bag fell to the floor and so did her purse - she on the other hand was smashed tightly against someone's hard body.

"Jeez what the hell are you doing - trying to peek into the boy's locker room?" this guy snarled. "Could you be less obvious about it at least?"

"I-I'm sorry! I was just trying to reach the gym!" she protested meekly. She tried to pull away from this tall and angered man but suddenly his grip had tightened...

Jake had followed Carlos into the boy's locker room to kick his ass. The idiot had accused him of banging Jessica and then leaving her because she was a slut. Jake was offended - Carlos had no business talking shit about him, especially since he was the loser who 'banged' girls and dumped them.

Jake had no intention of being labeled as a playboy in a school full of chicks willing to date him as it is – the playboy status would do nothing but make things worse. Jessica would hound him to no end and he didn't like the idea of that at all.

Unfortunately Carlos had gotten away - giggling like a hyena as he ran. He obviously thought Jake was joking but he wasn't. He hated even being mentioned in a sentence with Jessica. Jake just wanted to be left alone and now odds were he wouldn't.

Carlos would pay for this.

Jake came fuming out of the locker room and immediately crashed into some girl. At first he thought it was Jessica and shut his eyes tightly to control his anger – he was about shake her ass up but this girl was shorter. After he'd shouted at her, she spoke up and he stiffened, lowering his head to gaze at none other than little Sherry Birkin.

He felt her ample breasts against his chest and he remembered she wasn't little anymore. This was older Sherry Birkin.

Sherry raised her head to see who this man was that held her so tightly. Immediately, her breath caught in her throat.

_Could it be...? He looks so much like him... No way, there's no way this is Jake...! _

"J-Jake...?" she whimpered openly affected by him. Inside she was hoping she was wrong. "Is … Is that you...?" She felt a mixture of everything at that moment. If this was Jake - should she be afraid? Would he bully her like he did in the past? ...Or would he somehow become her friend once more?

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_**[Jake, 12 / Sherry 11]**_

* * *

Jake pushed Sherry into the corner. They were right outside the auditorium and Sherry was just trying to get to her next class. Unfortunately Jake was in one of his moods again and wouldn't let her past him.

"Where you going, _Sherry_?" he spat meanly. "Going to see your _boyfriend_?"

"J-Jake p-please I don't have a b-boyfriend!" he used his chest to push her back against the wall.

"**Liar**! I **hate **you so much!" he roared into her ear. She held her books against her chest as she slowly crumbled to the floor, afraid of what he might do to her or what else he could say...

Jake just hovered over her while she trembled almost kneeling before him. He smirked feeling satisfied that once again, she was crying. He turned swiftly and left her there.

"We'll never be friends again, _wimpy girl_ – remember that!"

Sherry watched him leave and felt her heartache. No matter what she did, she couldn't escape him. He always caught her, broke her heart and then left. No matter where she went to avoid him, he found her. She just wanted to get away from him... but she wanted to be near him all the same.

She knew she needed to get away.

...Before he broke her heart enough to kill her...

* * *

[_Present Day_]

* * *

Sherry's legs began to give out on her. He still hadn't replied, he just stared at her with piercing eyes the color of storm clouds - they had once looked like rain, but now they were scary... like a _storm_ was in the midst...

That's exactly what she foresaw...

She felt herself slipping, falling away from him - her shoes slipped off her feet as she leaned back farther and farther. _Am I going to fall? Is he going to treat me the same way he did in middle school...?_

Just as she thought she would fall, he yanked her up and pressed her against him. She stared at him with a mixture of appreciation, fear and wonder. She flinched a little when she saw him smirk at her.

"...Hey there, _Sherry_. You've grown up."

_Jake! _She wiped tears from her eyes and he released her to stand on the cold floor without her shoes. He gathered her books and things for her, even helped her slide her shoes back on. She had no idea why she was crying but she felt like a weight was lifted from her. A heavy burden was gone...

_He didn't yell at me, he didn't insult me. Does this mean we're okay?_

_Look at her, still so nervous - she's still a crybaby. _Jake thought as he studied her. He was older now, he considered all of that bullying business to be middle school child's play. He couldn't believe he treated her so bad, but he would never apologize for it - no way, Jake Muller had a reputation to uphold and Sherry Birkin was not about to ruin that. _No matter how lovely she is... _

He admired this new Sherry. He liked her new height, she wasn't too tall or too short - maybe 5"6. She had long and well-toned legs and she was so well-endowed despite her slender physic – she had curves everywhere they needed to be.

Jake looked away from her. _Damn, she really is fine as wine. Pretty, pretty Sherry. _He knew he had to stop immediately. _Stupid hormones..._

Sherry discreetly observed him, he was so much taller than she ever imagined he would be, he was probably the same height as his father was - 6"3. His hair was cut into a buzz-cut now, she was used to his wild messy hair from childhood but he did look more mature with the new look. He'd lost all of the baby fat from his face and also attained his father's sharp features and striking facial structure.

He was wearing a short-sleeved black shirt underneath a black jacket, blue jeans and black boots. Around his neck was some sort of dog-tag. Sherry blushed once she realized he'd grown up too and sported a bad boy image like he did when they were young. To this day, she still liked it on him - except maybe she liked it on him more _now _than before.

"Y-You've grown up too..." she said sweetly but it was clear she was nervous. "You're _huge_ now..."

_**"...you're really tall for a nine-year old."**_

_That sounds familiar... _He thought to himself, he shrugged to her statement. "...Heh, for a wimpy girl - you're quite _lovely_." he smirked again and she froze in her spot.

_**"...you're cute for a wimpy girl."**_

He let out a chuckle before turning away to enter the gym.

Sherry stood there with her mouth slightly agape. _It's just like that day..._

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_**[Jake, 9 / Sherry, 8]**_

* * *

"Hurry, Jake!" Sherry chirped cutely as she raced him to the front doors of the school.

Jake strode along behind her with his hands behind his neck. He whistled casually as he took his sweet time. Sherry stopped at the doors and let out a quiet huff and then stomped back to her friend to grab one of his hands and tug him gently behind her.

"We're gonna be late, Jake!"

"I'm coming, I'm just taking my time." Jake replied with a grin.

Sherry giggled and paused to let him open the door for her, she entered first and he followed behind her. "Jake, you don't have to escort me to class every day." she said with a smile.

Jake shrugged. "We have the same class, remember? And even if we didn't, I'll follow you anyway because I gotta keep an eye on you."

Sherry blushed. "I-I'm glad, because I like knowing you're nearby. I feel like I have a bodyguard!" she giggled.

Jake's cheek tinted as well but he looked everywhere except at her. "I am your bodyguard, Sherry - I'll always keep you safe, I'm serious." he said sharply.

"I believe you, Jake."

"Good."

* * *

[_Present Time_]

* * *

The entire class sat on the bleachers as the gym instructor entered the room. Sherry was at the top near the far end, she could see Jake was opposite to her. She had conflicting feelings about sharing a class with him. He seemed nicer than before but she just couldn't let her guard down.

Jake spared Sherry a few side glances but each time he caught her doing the same he would avert his attention. So far they shared two classes together, while she wasn't aware of the other class because she never saw him, Jake sort of tangled over whether this was good or bad.

He just didn't quite understand where they stood with each other. Last time they were in each other presence, he was playing the bully role to her - if she felt uncomfortable with him, he surely didn't blame her.

Though he hoped she forgave him.

"Alright class, welcome to Physical Education, my name's Mr. Krauser and I'm of course the instructor for this course." this man was tall and very buff. Sherry shivered under his dark gaze as he observed everyone in the room.

"A colleague of mine suggested that I ask you maggots to tell a little about yourselves... for future benefit..." Sherry couldn't help but notice he seemed very agitated, whoever his fellow teacher was, they must be of the light-hearted sort.

_Not this shit again... _Jake fought off a groan. This Krauser guy would be the 3rd teacher that requested he introduce himself. It was all so repetitive.

"Sherry!" someone whispered from below. The dainty blonde searched for whoever it was and upon seeing Jill a few rows down she waved eagerly.

"Hi Jill!" she whispered back with much enthusiasm.

"I'll call on each of you randomly and confirm your presence in this class as well as... _get to know you_..." Mr. Krauser said this time he was straining to keep his calm. _Stupid Leon, I'll kick his ass for this..._

"First up, Helena Harper – please stand and introduce yourself."

Helena was a tall brunette with well-proportioned curves and a tough girl persona. Jake knew her from 9th grade, she was a cool person but had one hell of a temper. Last he checked she was getting close to Piers - might even be his girl.

Helena rolled her eyes. "My name's Helena. I'm in 10th grade - what else is there to say?"

Most of the students laughed but Mr. Krauser's eyes narrowed - silencing everyone instantly.

"My colleague informed me it's best to ask your hobbies... and anything else you want to add. Maybe your goals, a unique talent you have... improvise for God's sake." he growled.

Helena twitched a little, becoming aware that he was quickly losing patience. "Um... I have a few hobbies, mostly I just watch TV... Is that good enough?" she asked.

"It's fine." he replied grimly. He skimmed over his list and began calling out more people.

Finally it was Jill's turn to stand up. "I'm Jill, I like a lot of outdoor activities, this is going to be odd but I actually like fishing - my dad put me up to it. My goals... I'm hoping to get into law enforcement. That's all." she sat back down.

_Wow, she likes the outdoors too? _Sherry mused quietly.

Mr. Krauser moved on down the list, after a multitude of people, he reached Sherry's name. She coyly rose to her feet. "Um, my name is Sherry. I like to study nature during most of my free time, as for goals, I'd love to become a florist or a botanist."

_Heh, she's still chasing that dream? How many years has it been? _Jake thought with an amused smirk. He sent her another glance but looked away quickly when Mr. Krauser called for him to go next.

He didn't stand, that was so lame - at least to him. "Name's Jake."

The class began to laugh once again, Mr. Krauser was unimpressed. "Mr. Muller - offer everyone else some information about yourself... Please."

Jake shrugged. "I like long walks on the beach." this made everyone chuckle again, Mr. Krauser shot him a sharp glare. "Alright, alright! It was a joke!"

Sherry giggled quietly at his antics. He was still a clown, even after all these years.

"What are your hobbies - your goals?"

Jake rolled his eyes. "I hate most things, like some things and my future's my business."

_Always the mystery, aren't you Mr. Muller. _Sherry mused to herself with a giggle. _I can't help it. I really miss laughing like this._

The rest of the class went as expected, they had forms to fill out and Mr. Krauser explained the attire they were required to wear for class every day. Sweats, t-shirts, and sneakers, they also had to bring a towel and bottle of water with them every day.

Class was dismissed shortly afterwards and Sherry piled out behind Jill. "Um, hi Jill." she greeted her sweetly with a smile.

Jill whirled around to her, her chestnut hair was bound tightly behind her back in a pony-tail but this action caused her hair to cascade over her shoulder. "Sherry, good to see we have a class together. Why didn't you sit with me?"

Sherry blushed. "I um, I didn't know you wanted me to." she said honestly. "Next time I'll do just that."

Jill waved her hand dismissively. "It's not a problem. You come off as the shy type anyway so I understand."

"Thanks. Well, what's your last class for the day? I have Biology."

Jill glanced at her schedule with a raised brow. "I've got Economics." she shrugged. "Looks like we're not in the same class... That sucks."

Sherry shook her head. "That's alright, we've got two other classes we share so that's good news right? Besides, I had that class before this one, I know exactly where to go."

"Really? Phew, that's a relief, I thought I might get lost again." she chuckled lightly. "Then again it is a nice day, it can't hurt to take a nice walk, get lost and stumble on a nice stranger willing to help." she winked at the shorter girl.

_I did just that. _Sherry thought to herself, she giggled. "That's true. Well, here - let me show you how to get there." Sherry gave her instructions and a few moments later the two departed from each other and went their different ways.

The bashful girl sighed once again as she stared at her schedule. "This bites... for all I know the Biology classroom could be way on the other side of the school..." she whispered to herself, she shook her head tiredly. _Well relax Sherry - it's only one more class and then you're home free._

"What's the matter, wimpy girl?"

Sherry almost jumped out of her skin as she spun around to see Jake hovering behind her; a smirk on his handsome face. She was alarmed for two reasons, he was calling her 'wimpy girl', just like the old times. The other reason was because he was so close and she had no clue he was there.

_How long has he been there? _She wondered as she straightened herself up. "I-It isn't nice to sneak up on people, Jake." she said firmly but still dulcet in tone.

"I didn't," he deadpanned with a blank stare. "I made my presence known and you jumped because you never grew out of that debilitating neuroticism you've had since you were a young'un."

Sherry was at a loss for words. "Um..."

"What class you got?" he asked coolly.

"I-I have Biology, why do you ask?"

Jake ushered her ahead with a gentle push to her back, Sherry squeaked at his gesture but moved ahead anyway. "Keep straight ahead, it's a little past the restrooms." he said, following behind her closely.

_Is he... escorting me to class? _She wondered and her cheeks reddened.

_May as well show her the way, after all - my class is right across from hers. _Jake thought as he watched the pretty blonde in front of him. _And here I was thinking I would swap Chemistry for another class... heh, I think I'll stick around for now. _

_And hey, I think I can deal with Jessica in economics now – as long as Sherry's in the class I'm good._

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the wait! I'm gonna try hard to update more often it's just with long chapters it takes a while to finish. I hope you guys/girls liked it! Sorry if this chapter seemed kind of slow, next one should be much better. This fic will get more exciting as it goes on. Chapter three should be up after I update _A Remedy for Lonely Hearts_ again – or maybe at the same time.

Thanks for all the reviews, favs and alerts. I appreciate them! XD

Notice: I had an extreme error in the first chapter. Sherry's teacher is Hunnigan. I don't know how I missed my error but I apologize about that. Claire is actually coming up soon as another teen like the rest lol sorry for the confusion.

Well R&R people and I'll be seeing you soon! If you have any questions or concerns do not hesitate to ask them. See ya!

-Vio


	3. That No Matter What Happened

_**...That no matter happened...**_

* * *

[_Present Time_]

[_Jake, 16 / Sherry 15_]

* * *

Sherry walked alongside Quint as they entered the school. The two were early but they were hoping to catch up on some homework before school started. Quint led Sherry to the class of his favorite teacher Mr. Luciani – the Italian teacher; he was a big, burly man with a light hearted air to him and his Italian heritage shown heavily through his accent.

Quint took a seat in the second row and Sherry settled in the chair next to him. "So Sherry," he began while pulling books from his heavy backpack. "How are your grades coming along?"

"Pretty well, I've gotten nothing but A's on my assignments and 98 percent's on tests." she answered with a smile. She placed a novel on her desk, it was _Lord of the Flies _by William Golding, a required reading for her English class and she had to read a chapter before the class started just in case they had another pop quiz.

"Jeez, good for you - all of my classes have drove me crazy already! A week into this and it's been nothing but a headache and it takes away my anime time." he complained indignantly. Unlike Sherry, Quint was quite the slacker with his homework.

"You still like anime after all these years?" Sherry giggled at him. "I guess some things really don't change!" she sighed then. "I just wish Finn and Yoko had come here too..."

"Yeah, I haven't heard from either of the two since middle school."

"What happened to them... after I left I mean?" she wondered aloud with her fingers grazing over the novel on the desk.

"Finn stayed at the school with me until 8th grade then he moved away to some state - he never disclosed which though. Yoko left a year after you did." his usual cheery demeanor was replaced with gloom. "I miss them both too, Sherbear... What sucks most about it is the reasons they left."

"Reasons?" Sherry inquired her blue eyes glistening from the ceiling lights.

"Yoko left because she was tired of being picked on and Finn left because he was being harassed at home. I was the only one left and even though I was getting bullied daily, I stuck it out. I wasn't gonna let them scare me off no matter what." He grinned and Sherry felt inspired as well as remorseful.

"Oh Quint... I'm so sorry. If only I had a backbone then you wouldn't have suffered alone." she felt a dull ache in her stomach - she was disgusted with herself.

Quint placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a thumbs up. "It's cool Sherry really! I'm fine! Eventually the bullying stopped one by one and I was relieved too - now all they do is say stuff but that's nothing!"

Sherry still felt awful and her animated friend was good at reading her. "Did Alexia and her friends scare you off? Is that what happened?"

The petite blonde bit her lip, unable to find her voice at that moment. Alexia and her friends were part of the problem at that time, but there was more to her departure than just girls being mean. Still, she found it incredible that no one knew what they'd done to her that horrible day.

_I wonder does Jake know…_

Sherry never got to answer Quint, the bell had rung and they departed for their classes. The pretty blonde went straight for her locker and put in her code to stuff a few books into it. She searched for her economics book but couldn't find it so she sat the bag on the floor to shuffle through it.

It was then that she noticed Jake was approaching with Keith, Carlos, Chris, and Piers. Sherry was stunned that the whole crew was still present – even at the new school! They were all so tall and intimidating - it seemed even seniors were fearful of them from what she'd seen. They would avoid them entirely to prevent conflict.

Sherry felt her nerves kick in as memories of Jake slamming her locker door shut while she was using it surfaced. She bit her lip and tried to quickly find the book to close it before he arrived.

Her heart seemed to catch in her throat as she saw him pass her by with her peripheral vision. He passed and kept going, not even a glance in her direction.

More importantly, he didn't slam her locker shut.

_He... He didn't do it… _She thought with amazement. _Has he really changed?_

Sherry knew she needed more proof than him no longer slamming her locker.

* * *

Sherry and Quint met up again at lunch and Sherry had brought an extra lunch for him since he asked for it. She'd brought a rice and chicken dish but unfortunately Quint was allergic to the spices within the rice. She felt bad about and vied to always ask him beforehand from now on; in the meantime, she had no choice but to take the extra lunch home after school.

Luckily the school served Sloppy Joes, it was a relief because she knew Quint wouldn't go hungry all day.

They ate quietly on the rooftop, Quint finished first and wiped his hands eagerly on a napkin so he could start his new 3DS game. Sherry was taking her time with her meal, just enjoying the calm, watching clouds and observing the pretty autumn leaves flutter in the breeze.

"Autumn is so pretty." Sherry said dreamily, crossing her legs to steady the container of food on her lap.

"I thought spring was your favorite season?" Quint mused with a silly grin, he kept his eyes locked on the screen and was nearly absorbed in the game. "You're actually okay with your pretty flowers dying?"

Sherry giggled, unfazed by him. "Nature's beautiful because it regenerates time and time again. The summer's over but it'll come again and so will the spring – and so will winter and another autumn. The earth restores itself - I have no reason to feel bitter about it all."

"You're such a tree-hugger." Quint mocked lightly.

Sherry ignored him. "It's just so amazing. Every single season has it's purpose for not just nature but for people as well."

"Here we go with Miss Mother Nature poetry…" Quint groaned, button smashing away at his game.

"Every human being is like a tree, we stay rooted to the ground throughout time and live accordingly through the seasons. Summer is a time of growth and happiness, it's when we have the greenest leaves and it's the time of the year when we truly feel embellished by the sun. The sun's brightest in the summer so we feed off that energy and grow from it – and I'm sure you know sunlight brings happiness right?"

"Yeah, uh-huh." Quint slurred uninterestedly, but Sherry didn't pick up on it at the time.

"Autumn is a time of release, when the trees lose their leaves it means it's time to shed our burdens and let them go, drop them to the ground and bury them for the arrival of winter. These are things we regret, mistakes we've made – all the extra baggage we don't want, we release them. The autumn breeze carries these troubles away and leaves us bear for the new season to blanket and comfort us."

"And here in lies the tale of why winter isn't so bad after all, isn't it?" Quint asked. "Go on please – I'd love to know why the evil, evil snow is so wonderful." he added sarcastically.

Sherry giggled. "When we're left bear, cold and naked exposed to the elements of nature – in our case the world, the snow falls and acts as a shield for the body. There's an old saying that the best romances occur during the winter because it's the one time of year where you're so bundled up that people have no choice but to like you for everything but your appearance. Winter is a time of acceptance – it's where we have no choice but to withstand the harshest weather and review ourselves to carry onto the New Year with new goals and aspirations. All of those pains we've felt from our leaves in autumn are now acknowledged and the things that once hurt us are melted away for the coming spring…"

"Yeah that's nice but winter still sucks." said Quint.

Sherry rolled her eyes but giggled anyway. "And now for the last season, spring is a time of rebirth. It's when we start out as fresh and new people. All of our dilemmas are no more – we are reborn and ready to prepare for the summer. We get our steady build-up for what's to come and prepare for it. It is now time where our resolutions for New Year truly show themselves and we plant seeds to see them grow. So once summer finally arrives, we get to see if our plans have borne fruit."

"And from there the cycle starts all over again." Quint finished for her with a dry laugh. "Yeah, that's cute how seasons and trees describe us."

"Isn't it?" Sherry said with a sigh.

"It is things like that, that make me wonder how you and I get along." he laughed.

"What do you mean?" Sherry asked a little offended. _Why would he even say something like that?_

"Relax, Sherry! All I'm saying is here I am a huge technology fan and you're miss earth, sunshine and flowers - how the hell does that work?" he was obviously joking but Sherry saw some fruit to his words.

_The only other person who ever truly synced with me and my love for the outdoors was Jake… _

"Speaking of sunshine and stuff, I bet you don't even like rain – do you Sherry?" Quint inquired with a raised brow.

The pretty blonde's eyes danced around her surroundings. The rooftop they were on wasn't on the highest peak of the school but it was over the auditorium. There were other accessible ones but Quint and Sherry had settled on this one because it was within their immediate reach.

Other students were present, most chatting idly over superficial topics while others were playing basketball and some doing the disapproved activity of rolling dice. Sherry eyed the ones playing ball and thought of how much she enjoyed catching apples with Jake when he dropped them to her. She recalled the first day they met, how the rain fell and the thunder sounded out.

"You're wrong, Quint…" she said quietly, her friend blinked almost like he was shocked. "I actually love rain."

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_**[Jake, 9 / Sherry, 8]**_

* * *

"Sherry, catch these too!" Jake shouted from the top of their favorite apple tree. He dropped three apples in a row and she caught all three with relative ease and grinned when he landed in front of her.

"Look, I caught all of them!" she cheered, holding out his green bag to him for proof. "I'm a naturally good catcher aren't I?"

Jake smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "You're getting better, much better."

"You and I have so much fun together, don't we Jake?" she asked with a red hue to her cheeks. "I feel like I have super powers when we're together!"

The red-haired boy laughed and took his bag from her. "Heh, now that I think about it – you are a Supergirl aren't ya?"

"Hm?" she asked cutely, her ocean blue eyes wide with adoration for her friend.

"Besides your fear of thunder – you're pretty tough! You can do a lot of things that most girls are too prissy to do. For instance, you're not scared of getting dirty, you like frogs, you love to play and you actually don't mind getting wet from the rain! That makes you cool."

"R-Really? Gosh, thanks Jake." she blushed excessively and took his hand in hers. "C-Can we, play with some of the apples?"

"Wha?" Jake drawled out with a dropped jaw. "And waste a good apple?!"

Sherry pouted sadly and the boy just crumbled… He loved apples but something about Sherry just got to him.

"Alright, fine…_Supergirl_. Heh, I think I'll call you that from now on – Supergirl!" the two smiled at one another as they left from under the trees. Sherry rather liked the nickname, it made her feel tough and fearless – capable of anything.

It was then that Sherry realized Jake was right – she actually loved the rain cascading from the skies upon her.

The rain would serve as a constant reminder of their times together.

* * *

_Present Time_

* * *

She closed up her food and placed it into her bag dejectedly. "Sherbear? What's wrong?" her best friend asked without sparing her a glance.

Sherry stood up and walked towards a rubber dodge ball at one corner of the rooftop. There were plenty more balls there but she wanted something easy to handle so Quint wouldn't complain. She had an idea and hoped it would prove fruitful.

"Will you… play catch with me?" she asked sweetly.

Quint looked appalled before his eyes shot back to his game's screen. "Are you kidding me? Heck no! Oh come on Sherry I'm on level 54! Besides, you know dodge balls freak me out! They're the number one ball that can destroy a guy's sack!"

Sherry narrowed her eyes playfully and jumped at him, almost startling him off the bench. "I don't care about that, it's just catch - I'm not gonna target your boyish parts!"

"No way, Sherry!"

Sherry pouted cutely and bounced the ball a few times. "Please Quint?"

"Nope!"

"Pretty please?"

"Out of the question!"

Try as hard as she could, her efforts were for naught. Quint was stubborn as an ox and she just couldn't get him to cave. She sighed woefully and left him to his game as she resorted to bouncing the ball against a wall nearby, deciding to play catch alone to pass the time.

_Jake would have submitted after my first plea… but that's because he didn't mind playing – besides, we were kids back then and that's to be expected. I'm older now so why do I keep thinking of it all so profoundly? _

_I just wish Quint had some more spunk… I mean, I'm not a great athlete myself but I still do my best. _

Despite how hard she tried to convince herself otherwise, she knew very well that hoping for Quint to actually become more brawn than brains was ludicrous. She should accept him for who he is, a funny guy with a knack for computers. That's who he's always been.

Still, accepting this fact made Sherry realize that Quint wasn't ever going to be the friend that Jake was for her. Jake was the whole package; he was fun-loving, active, and quite clever. Sherry wondered did the older and more robust Jake still maintain his zest for thrills and amusement.

_I miss those days when I could be around Jake and do whatever I wanted… He never let me play alone, he was always there to play with me and he never minded listening to my long lectures about nature…_ She glanced quickly to her friend and noticed him still consumed in his game, he saw her looking and grinned cheekily – she returned the gesture feeling guilt overcome her.

_Oh what am I doing? What kind of friend am I - thinking so poorly of someone dear to me...? _

The petite blonde knew very well that Quint was her friend and would stick by her no matter what but she felt guilty for harboring a desire deep within her that he would somehow one day transform into someone else... It was incredibly illogical and selfish but she couldn't deny what she was feeling.

It was complicated, but she knew deep inside that she wanted to befriend Jake again. Even after all the crazy he'd put her through she still wanted to be his friend.

_Gosh, __I feel terrible! Quint's always been there for me. He's so nice and funny and loyal... He's the one guy I know would never turn their back on me… unlike Jake. _

_This is ridiculous – I can't even be sure Jake would want the same thing… Why is it so hard for me to accept that we're older now and the past we had together is done for good? _

_Why can't I let him go…?_

"Hey, Quint!" the two jumped a bit and Sherry turned to see who she least expected.

It was Jake.

* * *

Jake saw Sherry and Quint leave the lunchroom once again. Over the course of their first week, Jake had seen the two leave a total of three times; the other times they lied low in the back of the auditorium. Jake was originally intrigued by the prospect that they shared a lunch period but she didn't seem interested in his company.

She always turned into a bundle of nerves around him and it wasn't comforting for the former bully. He knew what he'd done to her wasn't appropriate back in the day but he couldn't help himself from wanting to make things right with her.

However, it wasn't easy to catch her alone long enough because she always sat with Quint and that bothered him.

He knew he had no right to be possessive of her, especially after he had established a reputation being her personal bully during middle school... Still, he hated that she was stuck with someone that at least in _his_ opinion was no good for her.

Sherry was terribly shy and meek to the outside world but he remembered her being more vivacious and playful when around someone she was comfortable with. He didn't see that side of her when she was around that Quint guy and he knew it was because she wasn't happy.

Now, the old Jake was temperamental and wouldn't hesitate to scare the guy off to catch her alone but the older Jake was a much more logical thinker. Still temperamental but rational enough to know he couldn't just attack innocent people anymore without risking law enforcement getting involved.

He was a big guy now so he had to be discreet with his aggression – he was no longer a bully, he just beat up people who started shit with him.

Jake had no clue why he cared so much about Sherry's feelings or why he couldn't stay away from her. He watched her from afar as she was trying to convince the technology loving boy to play something with her. Said male remained steadfast he was fine where he was – absorbed in his game.

Jake saw Sherry's shoulders sink and he could practically imagine her eyes lose their sparkle.

He had no idea when he started but he made his way over to them through the crowds of many other students skipping lunch on the roof. As he closed in, he came up with a plan to get Quint out of the picture and gain some alone time with Sherry - he had the perfect scheme and amazingly it didn't involve violence.

"Hey, Quint!" he shouted, he inwardly smirked at Sherry's surprised face.

"Uh hey Jake?" his greeting was more like a question. "Whatcha want with me?"

Jake stepped in front of the two with a hard blank stare, his presence alone overwhelmed Sherry - it was as if a dark aura engulfed him... "One of the lady teachers on the first floor was looking for you." he said simply. "She told me to get you."

The shorter male jumped to his feet and looked him over with big eyes. "Really? Which teacher? Please tell me it wasn't Ms. Yamata! She's been like crazy hard on me all week!" he threw his head back in frustration and released a loud groan.

Slowly a smirk crept to Jake's face and it unnerved Sherry. "That's… probably her." he responded with a tune.

Quint let out another groan and gathered his things to depart. Sherry reached out to halt him after glancing back and forth from Jake's statue stiff form to her friend. "Wait Quint - did you want me to come with you?"

Jake's twitch went undetected. "She said it had something to do with a reevaluation or something - sounded _really_ important." he stated immediately, he had to stop her…

Quint rolled his eyes. "You'd better stay here Sherry. I'll be a while - we'll just meet up again in economics next hour. Save me a seat will ya?"

Sherry's eyes averted to the floor. "Um, sure... see you then."

Quint jogged off after giving her a friendly grin. Sherry watched him go back into the school and felt her stomach tie in a knot as Jake's eyes burned into her. She didn't know what to say or do at that moment... but she knew fully well that Jake had just lied to her best friend.

There was no way a teacher would send _Jake_ of all people to retrieve Quint. He was the school bad boy, teachers only dealt with him when absolutely necessary. Surprisingly, Sherry learned that Jake got amazing grades and excelled at many things… okay so maybe he could be asked to do a favor…

But who's to say he even know Ms. Yamata? It sucked that Quint was just too dense sometimes to realize things. Sherry felt dreadful that he'd tricked him, Jake was messing with her friends just like he did in middle school…

_I should've said something... _She hummed joylessly and whirled around to the tall redhead, he stared her down without even being discreet about it - studying everything about her and it made her uncomfortable. _Why'd he lie to him? Does he just want to get me alone so he can pick on me again? But he hasn't bothered me since school started – he's actually been pretty decent. _

It was true, she and Jake shared lunch and two classes together – he even walked her to her last period class every day. Sure, he didn't speak to her much but he definitely hadn't been mean to her. Nevertheless, Sherry wasn't sure she could handle being around him too long without the stress giving her a headache. She didn't know how to feel or what to do.

_So why am I blushing so hard…? _She wondered while studying her shoes. Her heart felt heavy in her chest and she took deep breaths to calm down and ease the butterflies in her stomach.

Jake took a minute to study the pretty girl from his child days. Same messy hair she always sported, a white button down blouse with ruffles down the front, a bit of jewelry, beige jeans and matching flats. He thought she looked very good in jeans, she had wide hips and a nice ass – he wasn't going to lie to himself and say he didn't find her attractive.

There was something about her coy demeanor that seemed to hint at a concealed kittenish sensuality within her.

"Jake, why did you lie to Quint?" she asked quietly. She was older now and planned to stand up to him, at least enough to get him to stop if he thought he was going to get away anything.

Jake raised a brow. "What makes you think I lied?" he asked almost like he thought she was crazy. "What purpose would I have to lie to him, Sherry?"

If he thought he could try and deny it he was wrong. He had done this before, send Quint or Yoko off so he could get her alone and corner her. Sherry wouldn't stand for it. "Jake, how could you? You're going to have him go all the way downstairs to the first floor just so you can corner me and be mean?"

Jake frowned and this made her flinch. "Is that what you think I'm here to do? Pick on you?" he scoffed and shook his head at her. "Wow, that's a very nice thing to say."

"W-Well what do you expect me to think? You've done this before in middle school - you would send my friends away and then yell at me until I fell to the floor crying." she whispered facing the ground, she was fighting back tears. Jake just knew how to get to her and she hated it so much.

"I know what I did _damn it_ – you don't have to bring it up." he responded coldly, his hard gaze bore into her even though she didn't look at him.

"If you know that then why are you acting like this?" she asked, taking a seat on the bench to get off her wobbly legs. She played with the ball in her hands a little out of nervousness.

The former bully was quiet for a long minute, just watching Sherry as she faced the ball, patiently awaiting his reply. "Are you afraid of me, Sherry?"

She gasped faintly but he didn't miss it. "N-No..."

"Tell me the truth." he commanded roughly with sharp cloudy eyes focused on her delicate form. He hated to learn she feared him... it made him feel like a monster. He didn't want to be a monster in her eyes - that actually hurt him, bad.

_Why's he doing this? Is he torturing me? I should just get up and walk away... _She tried to do just that but he stepped in front of her, gently gripping her around her elbows since the ball was in her hands. Sherry looked him in the eye then and saw a multitude of emotions stirring within them. _He's… not hurting me. _She felt her face heating up once more when she realized just how tender he was being with her.

_What can I do to ease you, Sherry? _Jake wondered. He spoke up once more, this time in a softer tone. "Tell me." When she hesitated he dropped his arms and to her surprise…

He started to _tickle_ her.

"J-Jake, s-stop!" she giggled, wiggling away from him but he tickled her until she fell back onto the bench. She struggled to use the dodge ball as a shield, sadly he still managed to make her tingly. He finally stopped but Sherry was still feeling the tickle thus she continued to giggle until her breath was running out.

"Why… Why'd you do that?" she asked while gasping for air.

Jake smirked, he was pleased she had actually let him tickle her to begin with. He found her laugh sweet, it was pleasant to his ears. "Answer the question, Sherry. Are you afraid of me?" He hoped he alleviated her anxiety some. He didn't want her to be scared – he didn't get off on fear, _not anymore_.

The dainty blonde inhaled slowly and shuddered out a quiet: "... Just a little..."

"Close enough..." he responded after coming around to sit beside her. "It's not easy being scared of someone who tickles you now is it?"

Sherry blushed and diverted her eyes. "I… I guess not. I feel a little bit better. I'm just not used to you treating me nicely." she replied honestly. Jake nodded to her but his eyes were focused at nothing in particular.

"Is there anything you want to ask me?" he asked rigidly, observing her from the corner of his eye.

Sherry let out an unsteady breath. "D-Do you hate me?" she whimpered, physically shaking.

"No." he answered softly.

"Not even a little?"

"Not at all." he felt tempted to hug her and stop her from quivering but fought it off – he didn't want to seem like a prince charming or something, that was so not his style, but it did take a lot to stop himself…

It was then that he realized her nerves were actually letting up, his words seemed to be enough to calm her.

They were quiet for a moment, the wind whistled and the other students continued chatting away from them, some were playing with their own balls and Sherry longed to do the same. She thought of how Quint wouldn't play with her and it made her feel dread. She figured she could just play by herself again but she realized there was someone beside her who probably wouldn't mind...

_He said he didn't hate me - that's great but I don't know if he'd actually want to play with me... And I don't even have the guts to ask..._

Jake observed the other students and Sherry. He saw her clinch the ball in her hands with an unsaid desire to play with it. He really wouldn't mind playing with her; he saw her struggling internally, having an inside debate over asking him to play or not. Jake fancied he'd help her before her brain imploded.

"Want me to play with you?"

Sherry gasped at him with wide eyes but quickly averted her gaze. "U-Um I wasn't really playing anything..."

Jake stood up and gently pried the ball from her hands with a dashing grin. "Come on, we'll play a little catch just to pass the time."

The pretty blonde tried to protest but he shot her blank gaze and she took a deep breath. "O-Okay... but please no tricks. I don't want any problems."

"We're good." was all he said.

The two threw the ball back and forth for a while and then Sherry smiled when an idea came to her. Jake raised a brow at her. "How about we add a bit of a challenge?"

The tall redhead smirked amused. _There's the Sherry I know. _"Whatcha got in mind there, Sherry?"

She tapped her chin. "When we throw the ball, if one of us moves from our spot we have to stay there, the goal is to see who moves the least. Does that sound cool?" she asked with a pretty blush.

Jake shrugged. "Sounds good, first one who moves three times loses."

Sherry giggled excitedly. "Alright - let's do this!"

Jake's brows elevated, she looked... happy. She seemed comfortable suddenly and hadn't stuttered nervously yet. He couldn't explain it but he felt great - was she losing her fear of him already? "You sure you up for this little lady? You already know I'm the iron giant - you're scrawny mc-scrawn, what can you do?"

Sherry rolled her eyes at him, a bright smile on her face - she laughed. "I may not be a circus performer but I'm pretty decent! Let's start!" _I never thought it would be this easy to be around him again. _

She tossed the ball to him, he was a good five feet away from her and caught it without moving anything but his arm. He smirked and tossed the ball back to her, she caught it and almost leaned over but she kept her balance. Jake admired that she was an excellent defensive player. She kept her post just as well as he did and if catching the ball would result in her moving she wouldn't catch it. He thought she was clever with that.

Sherry noticed Jake could catch the ball without issue each time and toss it back instantly. Luckily she had some good reflexes, she could tell when he was faking her out or when she had an excellent opportunity to catch. Jake was relentless though, even when she threw the ball high into the air he waited patiently for it to fall and catch - tossing it to her immediately.

"Damn _Supergirl_ - you sure don' upgraded since catching all those apples back in the day." Jake complimented with his usual smirk.

_He… He remembered my nickname! He called me Supergirl… _Sherry flushed pink and shook her head. "I'm guessing you're good at reaching because of climbing all those apple trees?"

Jake shrugged. "Maybe."

Eventually the two had got around to expanding the game to whoever dropped the ball three times also lost. At that part of their game, they could move as they pleased but they had to catch every time. They played together until the half point bell rang, lunch would be over in 30 minutes and then they would have to get to class.

Jake caught the ball in his hand and glanced at his watch. "Heh, your buddy must have really got trapped with that teacher huh?"

Sherry pouted a bit. "Jake, please don't lie to my friends anymore."

He chuckled a bit and shook his head. "Can't guarantee that – sorry babe."

Sherry blushed when he called her that. She fidgeted with her sleeve looking everywhere but at him. "Um... are you about to leave?" she asked as she saw him approach the bench to grab his cell phone and black hoodie.

The redhead swung his hoodie over one shoulder as he glanced at his cell. The ball they had played with rolled on the ground in front of him, he stopped it with his foot. "Gonna go out somewhere and get a lunch." he looked at her with a brow raised, a smirk came to his face. "Wanna come with me?"

She shrank where she stood, she wasn't sure she could handle that just yet. She had never road around in a car with a guy before. Besides, she wasn't sure she could trust him that much yet... Still, she didn't want him to leave yet.

_Wait... the lunch! _The thought dawned on her and she came up beside the tall, muscular male to her bag containing the rest of her lunch and the food she was going to give Quint but his allergies forbid it.

"You're not allergic to anything are you?" she asked with a small smile.

Jake raised a brow. "Nope, my insides are as tough as my outsides." he stated proudly. "Why you ask?"

Sherry's face went red and she grabbed the extra container. She felt herself hesitate at first, memories of him crushing and stepping on her lunch when they were kids emerged and she almost put it back but his hand clasped it, intertwining with her fingers.

"That smells good, is it for me?" he grinned at her red face and opened the container smelling its contents. "You still make extra lunches? I remember the ones you would give me. You always put little smiley face decorations in them - that one time you designed a flower didn't you?"

The shy girl had to choke back tears again. _He remembers! He actually remembers!_

"I remember you even put a poem in my lunch once. It was about the seasons."

Sherry's heart was racing. "Jake, please eat with me." she patted the bench and sat down. Her cell phone vibrated in her pocket and she viewed it to see a text from Quint. Turns out Ms. Yamata actually was looking for him...

"What's with the sudden change in mood, Sherry? You suddenly don't mind my presence?"

She squeaked. "U-Um... turns out you weren't lying to Quint." She failed to notice Jake's shocked expression. "I'm sorry for accusing you of that... Ms. Yamata really did want to see him."

Someone above was actually cutting him a break. "Well, good to know you're sorry." she frowned at him and he chuckled.

The two ate in silence, they were a good distance apart where they sat but both felt an ounce of comfort. Jake thought Sherry's cooking was excellent, she was truly an amazing girl. Sherry still felt conflicted within herself - she was happy to be with Jake but there was something bothering her...

"J-Jake?"

"Hm?"

"What happened...? Why did you start to hate me?"

Jake paused feeling extremely irritated suddenly. "It's complicated - I... I don't even really remember." he was lying but he just didn't want to go into it with her. He wasn't sure how she would react...

Here they were getting along and she was still dwelling on the past. He knew she had every right to but he just wanted to start over with her. He didn't want to keep dealing with it all over and over again.

Also, he didn't want to start going on and on about his stupid mistakes as a boy. He screwed up with her before and he didn't want to do it again... why couldn't she see that? It was pointless to delve any further. He was just a stupid little boy with issues explaining his feelings to a girl he adored.

"You don't remember why you started bullying a girl you considered your best friend?" Sherry whispered disbelieving him. She began to tremble once more, not from fear but her nerves were shot from stress of it all. Why was he acting so casual - like it never happened or something?

"No... I don't. Why the hell do you have to bring that up now of all times?" Jake asked with an edge to his tone.

She faltered then, shrinking in her seat. "I don't know Jake, m-maybe because I'm still h-hurt by it all..." and then she decided to stand and leave once again but Jake grabbed her hand. She struggled weakly against him but he took a deep breath and looked at her with softened features.

"Wait... please just give me a second." Sherry didn't budge, she waited for him to speak with her ocean blue eyes faced solely to the ground. "You have every right to feel strange towards me. It makes sense after everything I put you through..." his voice held an afflicted tone as he spoke. Sherry couldn't help but feel her legs grow weak again.

"Why...?" she asked miserably. "Why'd you do it?"

"I never meant to upset you." he said faintly.

Sherry noticed at that moment that all the other students were taking their leave, the bell had rung and class was to start in five minutes. "I have to go, Jake."

"I know... just wait a minute." he intercepted irritably. He wanted to talk to her but he knew not what he wanted to say...

"What do you want from me Jake?"

"What do you want from me Sherry?"

"I want to know why you started to hate me so much." She answered honestly. "Maybe then I can finally put it all behind me..."

Jake nodded knowingly, yet he was still unable to tell her the truth at that time. "I'll try to remember so I can bring you some relief."

"What do you want from me Jake?" Sherry asked again with watery eyes.

"I just want to... I don't know – it's pretty complicated…" he replied with a sigh.

"All of this is." said Sherry. The two said nothing more to each other, they just packed up and made their leave.

Jake walked behind Sherry – they shared the same class so she didn't think too much of it. Once they reached the economics classroom, Sherry took a seat in the middle row, making sure to save a seat for Quint's arrival. Jake went to the back and settled in his usual spot by the window; he gazed out at the darkening skies and sighed.

He peered to the front of the class and didn't miss Sherry looking at him.

_Complicated indeed…_

* * *

Sherry stepped out of the locker room clad in a fitted green t-shirt, black short shorts and black sneakers. Jill was beside her, she'd tied her long chocolate hair into a bun and wore a blue spandex shirt with black spandex capris' and black sneakers. The two girls carried their towels and water bottles in their hands as they approached the bleachers with the rest of their classmates.

The petite blonde caught sight of Jake standing beside Chris [who'd switched to their P.E class recently] and Kevin Ryman – a happy go lucky guy with a knack for trouble-making in the class. The three were chatting idly away but stopped once Mr. Krauser entered the gymnasium.

"Good afternoon class," he started lethargically, his steely gaze traveling over everyone in the room. "I'm going to take attendance and then we'll start the class."

After taking attendance the teacher dropped his clipboard and pen onto an empty space on the bleachers. He joined his hands behind his back and let out a huff. "Miss Graham, yet again you aren't dressed." he glared at the blonde with much irritation. "If you are not dressed tomorrow then I will have no choice but to have you removed from the class."

Ashley frowned but then an arrogant smirk came to her face. "Sure thing, Mr. Krauser – I'll be ready to sweat and stink tomorrow just for you." she tantalized, crossing her legs and filing at her manicured nails.

Some of the class snickered but Sherry just felt sullen. She hated that Ashley transferred to the class. After the hell she and her friends put her through years ago, she was the last person she wanted to see or even be around. She never changed after all these years, she was still a stuck-up brat and that was what made it worse.

Sherry had heard of Alexia's brilliance and how she ascended through grade school and that gave her comfort because she would never have to see her again but her former groupies Ashley and Jessica were around and that made her very much unhappy.

Though Jessica was another story entirely; Sherry didn't miss how she would lean over Jake and try shoving her ass in his face or how she would rub against him. It made Sherry feel odd…

_I'm not jealous… no way – he bullied me and so did she! They're perfect for each other right? … _She looked at the tall, mighty redhead – he was standing stiff as a statue once again, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes staring off at nothing. Sherry admired his muscles through his black t-shirt, his powerful calves and his thighs looked taut and able – at least from what she could make out from his long gym shorts.

Jake was the embodiment of masculinity. _Who am I kidding, I'd love to be his girl…_

"Alright, I'm going to select two team captains – today you kids are playing dodge ball, get over it." the burly teacher announced nonchalantly. Most of the class erupted in cheers, Sherry thought it was ironic [she'd played with a dodge ball earlier], Jill was excitedly clapping.

"This should be fun!" she said with a wink. Sherry nodded enthusiastically.

"Alright, first captain I'm choosing is…" most students began to beg and plea to be selected. "I'm picking in a random manner so stop shouting like wild animals." the entire class quieted. "I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 50, write what you think it is on a piece of paper in _pen_ for clarity and bring it here."

One student took out a sheet of paper, wrote their name and the number they were guessing and passed it around. Sherry guessed it was 48, Jill guessed 31. After everyone wrote their numbers, Ashley handed the paper to Mr. Krauser he huffed amused.

"I was thinking of 36." most groaned in complaints.

"Damn, I was so close." Jill giggled, Sherry joined her.

"The closest was two students. One said 35, the other said 37. I'll give it to 35, Chris Redfield." Chris shouted victory and moved to stand beside the teacher after high-fiving Jake and Kevin. Number 37 turned out to be a guy named Ollie, a dark haired jock with an attitude and he didn't seem happy at all with the selection.

"That guy…" Jill sighed with a smile as she gazed at Chris. "He's really good at this stuff. I hope we get teamed up – if I don't get this second round I mean."

"Now, let's do this again. I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 50. Write names and numbers."

Once again the paper and pen came around and everyone guessed a number. Sherry thought of 24, Jill thought of 28. When the paper came around to him once again, Mr. Krauser actually laughed a hearty laugh. Everyone was quite disturbed and interested for the cause.

"Looks like someone picked up on my repetition. I was thinking of 36 again." so many groaned, some whined and Sherry laughed with Jill. "The genius is none other than Jake Muller."

Sherry felt her heart begin to race. She saw Jake step from the crowd with a sly smirk, he high-fived Chris once again but then a look of rivalry emerged. The bashful blonde couldn't help but feel ecstatic for the unfolding of this game.

"Okay, Redfield – pick a teammate, and then you will pick as well Muller."

Chris' eyes scanned, he was searching for someone in particular… "Jill, come here girl." he smiled a bit.

Jill had a slight tint to her cheeks and she stepped away from the bleachers and Sherry with a humored smile. "You sure you want me, Mr. Redfield?" she trifled with a hint of doubt.

Chris looked to the ceiling. "In more than one way." he replied after a cough. The other students snickered and whistled. Jill rolled her pretty eyes and stood beside him with a smile.

_They would be cute together. _Sherry thought when she saw how hard Chris stared at her friend. Jill either was unaware of Chris' attraction to her or she liked stringing him along for fun.

Jake scoffed. "Figures you would pick a chick first Chris'," he shook his head but wore a smirk. "Skirt chaser."

"Am not," Chris responded with a narrowed gaze. "How about you pick a girl too?"

Jake raised a brow and huffed with amusement. "Fine." all the girls on the bleachers were waving anxiously except Helena and Sherry.

Sherry wondered if he wasn't going to pick her because it would probably benefit him to have her on the opposite team – just like when they were kids. He would pummel her with balls and laugh at her harshly. Sherry wasn't sure what to expect.

"I pick… _Sherry_."

All the girls glared bitterly at the delicate blonde, at first she didn't know why until she realized Jake was beckoning her over with his middle and index fingers. She glanced dumbly around the room and walked over shyly. He smirked handsomely at her when she neared and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to pull her beside him.

When he removed his arm from her, he sent Chris a knowing grin and his best friend chuckled with amusement. Sherry somewhat hid behind the redhead, her watery eyes everywhere but to the bleachers where the other girls were giving her death stares.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked Jake quietly. He glanced at her over his shoulder and smirked but said nothing.

The two males went through the rest of their picks and the teacher fixed everyone up on either side of the gym. He placed a basket full of balls on each side and gave everyone their own ball to start.

Sherry realized she was the smallest person who was playing. The only other person who was close to her size was Ashley and she was [being the precious doll that she asserted herself as] sitting out because she didn't have gym wear.

Sherry felt nervous and glanced over to Jill, the tall brunette mouthed 'good luck' to her with a smile. The petite blonde sent her a thumbs up in return. _I can't let myself be intimidated like this. I'll give it my all!_

Jake was in front of Sherry, he made sure he would be the wall standing between her and anyone who tried to target her. He wasn't going to let her get hit, he had to make sure he tagged everyone on the other team out before she was.

Besides, he absolutely refused to lose to Chris. Best friend or not, the better man was winning this – that was an amazing honor to hold.

The teacher blew the whistle and the game began.

Immediately balls flew through the air and already three of the 15 people on their team were eliminated. Sherry squeaked and ducked just in time to miss what would have hit her nose. She descried that most balls were coming in her direction – she wouldn't stand for it. She just knew that the assault was from the other girls who liked Jake.

_How stupid! It's not like he likes me or anything! He could be using me as a decoy so he can target them! _She thought, feeling a fire blaze within her. _I'm not gonna sit back and take this! It's time I show my stuff too!_

Sherry ducked gracefully from another ball and threw hers with much force, striking one girl in the stomach. She balled over in pain just as Mr. Krauser blew his whistle at her. Sherry saw another ball coming her way and jumped right in the way of it. The thrower was a blonde girl who was buddies with Ashley, Sherry fancied she'd show her who was boss and embarrass her on the spot. She successfully caught the ball and the teacher whistled for the girl to sit out.

Sherry was twisting and turning with much finesse, her reflexes were outstanding! Every ball that came her way missed her and she would target her foes for her next move. She wasn't predictable either, Sherry used her wits to keep herself in the game – she wouldn't throw balls after her predators when they aimed for her, she would tough it out until they weren't expecting it and then strike them with accuracy.

Meanwhile on the other team, Jill was hanging tough. She was just as dexterous as Sherry – the only difference was in their frame. Jill's tall form was easier to make out among the crowd unlike Sherry. Still, Jill had hit out most of the other team – she was doing better than Chris was.

And that is what concerned her.

She made sure to cover herself but she was well aware that Chris wasn't aiming for anyone he could get – no he was concentrating on Jake. The charming brunette noted the two's silent rivalry but had come to see this as a mistake on both men's part. While targeting each other, they were exposing themselves to the other players.

"Chris!" she shouted. "Look out!" she quickly sprinted to his side and deflected a ball with her own.

"Jill?" Chris shot her a hard look before dodging another ball thrown by his red-haired nemesis and friend. "Don't worry about me – just protect yourself!"

"Jeez Chris, you make it sound like we're on a battlefield!" she laughed while deflecting another ball.

"This _is_ war, Jill! **War**!" he roared excitedly and threw another ball, it didn't hit Jake but it did hit Helena and she gave him the middle finger before leaving. "Sorry Helena!"

"Whatever!"

Jake took a moment to take in his teams numbers. With Helena gone they were down to four people while the other team had six. Jake didn't like this at all. He knew he should be aiming for Chris but he wasn't ignorant – he was more than aware of the threat Chris' little crush was posing.

Jill was one hell of a player.

He frowned as he weighed his options. He could get rid of her now and take down the biggest threat the other team has to offer, or he could keep her in the game to keep people off Chris and keep up their rivaled game – which would also help Sherry's case as the two girls' friendship prevented them from going after each other.

But not surprisingly, Sherry was formidable as well – which was why he picked her. She played defensively, preferring to lie low and siege an opportunity when the timing was perfect. She was a great catcher too and this shined out in her performance thus far. He knew this from their game earlier that she would give everyone a run for their money.

With her on his team, Jake didn't feel threatened by the other team one bit. She could handle herself and if she looked to be in trouble, Jake would tag that person out quicker than the ball flew.

It was at this time that one more member of their squad was eliminated, it was now three against six – this meant some serious trouble. Jake knew he had to do more now, he had to keep Chris off his case, protect Sherry and eradicate the rest of the other team while at it.

_No problem. _He smirked and prepared himself.

He dodged Chris' ball and then threw ball after ball, hitting two classmates at once, one in the face and deflected another's ball with his own. Mr. Krauser blew the whistle thrice and those members pulled out – it was now three on three. Jill quickly struck their third member and knocked the competition down to three on two.

Chris' team consisted of himself, Jill and Ollie.

Jake was left with a team of just him and Sherry.

Sherry calmly stood beside Jake, waiting for the other team to start throwing. "Hey," she gave Jake a quick look and directed her attention back on the game. "No pressure, remember – it's just like catching apples from the tree, ain't it?"

Sherry gasped and quickly sent him a smile. "Right!"

The balls began to fly again and the two dodged easily. Jake saw an opening on Jill and went for it only for Chris to deflect it after jumping in front of her. The two bombarded Jake with balls but he avoided them. He went to strike at Chris but realized Ollie was aiming for Sherry.

He quickly wrapped an arm around her and spun her from the line of danger. This disoriented her for a moment but when she came to – she saw a ball headed straight for her face and…

She caught it.

Mr. Krauser blew the whistle. "Redfield, you're out!" the room engulfed with whispers of astonishment.

Chris simply laughed heartily and moved towards the bleachers. "_Damn_! Nice catch Sherry!"

"… Much appreciated!" she replied breathlessly, she couldn't believe she took out the great Chris Redfield!

Jake was shocked and a little upset. Chris was his target. "God dammit Redfield! You **suck**!" he roared indignantly.

"I'll get you next game!" he responded with humor.

The game started again and Jake threw a ball behind him like a basketball player, taking Jill out instantly. She laughed when the ball hit her square on the ass and accepted defeat gracefully. She got much praise from the other classmates for being an incredible player – she thanked them and took a seat beside Chris.

All that was left was Ollie against Jake and Sherry. Immediately it seemed like a win but Ollie jumped and dodged Jake's ball only to send one hurling for him. Sherry instantly noticed that Jake wasn't going to catch it.

_If I take the blow for him, he can get Ollie without a problem. I'll do it – I'll take one for the team! _Sherry pushed her body and stepped in front of her former best friend, unfortunately she was so short that the ball hit her forehead and knocked her dizzy.

Jake was stunned, his mouth agape as she crumbled to the floor holding her head dizzily. Before the teacher could blow his whistle, Jake went ablaze with rage and threw his last ball with so much force it hit Ollie square in the face and knocked him to the floor to cradle his nose.

Silence enveloped the room until Mr. Krauser cleared his throat.

"Uh… okay, Muller your team wins." He announced with a look of astonishment. As he walked over to check on Ollie [who cursed and fussed violently on the floor], a few joined the teacher while everyone else cheered and ran over to congratulate Jake for being the winner.

"Damn, that was one hell of a last hit!" Chris said, slapping his friend and game rival on the back.

"That was one long ass game." Helena added with a sigh.

Ashley approached with a smile. "Typical Jake, you're always coming out on top - such a _man_!"

Jake ignored them to crouch down in front of Sherry to check on her condition. Jill pushed through the crowds to do the same. "Hey, you okay?" he asked worriedly, gently prying her hands from her forehead. "Look at me – how do you feel?"

"I-I'm okay, I think." she replied with a small giggle.

"Are you sure?" Jill pressed, placing a hand on the small of her back in case she fainted.

"Yeah, thanks." she responded with a smile. She tried to stand but stumbled a bit; Jake took one of her hands in his and wrapped an arm around her waist to pick her up.

"Oh my gosh, what a drama queen." Ashley said rolling her eyes. "You're forever the helpless victim, aren't you _Sherry_?"

Jake almost said something incredibly nasty but Jill beat him to the punch. "Let up Ashley – she was hit on the forehead and she's just a little dizzy. There's nothing wrong with Jake and me helping her." she stated calmly.

Ashley let out a huff. She knew Jill was a tough nut to crack. The girl had skin tough as nails and nothing seemed to get to her so it was pointless to press. Sherry on the other hand was easily affected. "You don't know her like I do, Jill. She's always been the type to run for help and act like a frightened little rabbit – isn't that right Jake?" she smirked.

_This obnoxious bitch is really pushing my buttons. She's just like Jessica! _Jake growled within his throat but Sherry put a hand on his chest to stop him from shouting.

"Class dismissed!" Mr. Krauser announced and most of the students began to pile out of the gym to the locker rooms. Ollie appeared to be fine, but his nose was red and he felt a bit dizzy like Sherry did.

Sherry stood on her feet unshakably and took in some air. "I'm fine now, thanks you two." she told the two concerned.

"See! I told you!" Ashley pointed ignorantly, pouting her lips like brat. "There was nothing wrong with her to begin with!"

Sherry felt too proud to let Ashley get to her. Jake had won the game, she had given it her all – she felt like she was Supergirl once again and it felt damn good. "Well, that was one heck of a game!" she said cheerfully, her head still felt like it was spinning but she could manage.

The students who'd stayed behind commended her for her display over the course of the game. Jill gave her a hug and they laughed as they talked about what made them lose.

Ashley growled. "Hello?! Is anyone listening?!"

To Sherry's pleasure, the bratty girl was ignored and the petite blonde started out of the gym beside Jill. They walked towards the locker rooms but before they entered, Jake grabbed Sherry gently by her forearm and pulled her back to face him. The blonde looked back and forth from him to Jill and finally told her friend she would meet her inside. Jill smiled knowingly and walked into the rooms to shower and change.

Jake glanced around to make sure no one was looking at them, and then smirked at her. "Nice play out there, Supergirl."

Sherry blushed and cast her eyes downwards. "I-It was nothing… thanks for picking me, Jake."

He shrugged. "There ain't just anyone catch apples like you, I knew you'd be a pro."

She giggled and then sent him a look of wonder. Before she could say anything he placed his hands on the wall on either side of her head. This time she didn't quiver or falter, she just waited…

"Don't ever do that again." he commanded almost huskily. Sherry whiffed the scent of apples and spice on him and she felt like she might melt; she wasn't sure why she didn't feel scared… maybe it was because his aura wasn't dark anymore, more like warm and enticing. "If I ever see someone hurt you – or even hear of it… I'll do worse than bust them in the face with a ball. There will be hell to pay – you understand?"

Sherry nodded while in a daze. Jake smirked and cupped her chin. "I'll meet you out here in a few – yes, I'm walking you to class again." He started away from her and she leaned breathlessly against the wall.

"Oh and Supergirl…?" she eyed him feeling dizzy. Whether it was from him or her headache as a result of the ball earlier…she wasn't sure. "This is _part_ of what I want from you."

She slid down the wall to the floor, closing her eyes to steady her breath once he exited into the boy's locker room. Her whole body felt like jelly.

Her thoughts were swarmed with many things, one in particular was prominent._ And what did he mean by 'part'? What exactly does he want from me? _The dizzy girl stumbled into the locker room to change for her next class.

* * *

Little did Sherry know, Ashley had seen the whole scene that unfolded between Jake and Sherry – and the daddy's girl was quite giddy with the prospect of being the one to tell Jessica what had occurred between her so-called boyfriend and the girl she thought no longer posed as a threat to their relationship.

* * *

A/N: CHAPTER 3 is done! XD

I hope everyone liked this chapter! I can't wait to update this and I'll try not to take long. Thanks for all the reviews and favs I appreciate them bunches!

Oh boy, Ashley's planning to brew more drama between the two… but will she succeed? Hmm…. next chapter is gonna be epic, sweet and revealing so R&R folks and I'll see you soon!

Remember, any questions or concerns feel free to let me know.

See ya soon!

-Vio


	4. Our Bond Would Stand The Tests of Time

_**...Our bond would stand the tests of time...**_

* * *

[_Present Time_]

[_Jake, 16 / Sherry, 15_]

* * *

Jake walked into Economics with a slight scowl on his handsome face. He knew he had to face Jessica once again and odds were that she was going to start nagging him about their 'relationship'. He tried over and over to make it clear to her that they were not a couple but she still asserted herself as his girl.

He sat down in his usual spot with Keith beside him. He could see Sherry writing in a notebook a few rows ahead, a smile etched on her pretty face and wondered why he didn't notice her before.

Surprisingly, Jessica didn't come to class. Jake was relieved and Keith made sure to congratulate him on his moments peace.

The class filled up once the school bells echoed and as usual Mr. Kennedy was running late. Everyone began to idly chat while they waited and when he entered they ceased conversations and prepared themselves for the lessons.

Sherry turned to Quint and urged him to put away his handheld game before the teacher took it. He rolled his eyes and tucked it into his bag with a groan.

"Aw, look at the lovebirds!" squealed one girl behind the two. They both shot the accuser a look of horror and denied her claim but she was adamant. "Don't deny it! You're perfect for each other after all! You're both a pair of _losers_!"

This made most of the class laugh and point fingers; Jake on the other hand got pissed. "Shut up Brittany."

The girl named Brittany eyed Jake with skepticism. "What's your problem, Jake? It was funny."

"Excuse the hell outta me for not seeing that we were sent back to Elementary. Grow the fuck up already." he spat venomously. His words were so harsh that Brittany looked very embarrassed as the other students began to agree with Jake and settle down.

Sherry was shocked but kept her eyes on her notebook. _Jake just defended us from her... that's so nice of him. _She smiled to herself and figured she would pick up the nerve to thank him later.

"Wow Jake," Keith started with a whistle. "Hard to believe you just defended her like that."

Jake shrugged. "That bullying shit is so stupid now. Besides, the only reason that Brittany chick is doing that shit is because she's got her head so far up Ashley's ass that she can't think for herself."

Keith agreed and then turned his attention to Mr. Kennedy who'd begun giving instructions on the days reading. Jake followed suit but his eyes drifted to Sherry, she was sending him random glances and he saw a glint come to her eyes each time.

He smirked and began copying notes the teacher left on the board. _I'm here for you, Sherry._

* * *

"Sherry," Jill caught the smaller girl before they left gym class for the day. "Did you wanna come over my house after school? I don't start work until 4 o'clock so that gives us some time to you know, eat some pizza and maybe watch some TV together."

Sherry pouted. "Darn, that sounds like so much fun. Unfortunately I can't because I'm doing some tutoring for Biology class."

Jill sighed but managed a smile anyway. "Well alright but I'm off tomorrow, maybe we could try then?"

"Sounds great, I'm free too." she chirped sweetly.

"Cool, we'll chat more tomorrow. I'll see you then!" Jill waved goodbye to her friend and departed for her Economics class.

Sherry felt her phone vibrating and checked it to see a message from Quint. He was skipping the tutoring session once again so he could hit up the Arcade with his outside-of-school buddies. She sighed, "Looks like I'm staying after alone then. Guess I'll just have to -"

"Hey, Supergirl!" Jake greeted from behind her. She squeaked and whirled around to him, sending him a look of frustration. "Sorry for scaring ya like that - what's this about a ride home?"

_He heard me talking to myself again... _Sherry shook her head and started for her class. "It's nothing you should trouble yourself with."

"The only thing troubling me right now is how stubborn you are." Jake stated with a roll of his eyes. "Just tell me what's going on."

She sighed knowing he was persistent and wouldn't cease unless she submitted. "Okay, it's just I have to stay after school today to tutor a few classmates. Quint was going to stay after too so we could walk home together but something came up -"

"Let me guess, the Arcade's having another game night competition and he wants to ditch tutoring for it." Jake knew about it because he actually had gone to a few to compete in games like _Street Fighter_ and _Tekken_. He wasn't going this time because there weren't any games he was interested in at the moment.

Sherry stopped and twirled to face him. "Pretty much..."

"Tch, typical - doesn't he have the lowest grade in Economics right now?"

The blonde frowned. "Jake, Quint's progress is none of your business. Would you please stop bothering him? Gosh it's like you're out to get him or something!" she let out a huff from the frustration.

She was well aware of Quint's downward spiraling but she attributed it to him just trying to get a feel for himself and it was all a phase he would pass through eventually. She couldn't understand why Jake kept making derogatory comments about her friend, Quint had done nothing to him and he had no reason to be so nasty.

His response shocked her. "You're right, I'm sorry okay?"

Sherry melted; it just seemed so unlike him to admit when he was wrong. He was showing her so much improvement from his youth and it made her feel more comfortable around him. "Thank you, Jake. For the record, I know Quint's a slacker but he's always pulled through in the end as long as he's interested. He may not come to tutoring and his grades aren't the best right now but he usually needs a good scare to get him in gear."

"Sure, whatever you say." he ushered her towards class again. "Now come on, you'll be late. But before I forget, what's going on with you after school again?"

"I'm staying after for tutoring and I need someone to walk home with or I'll have to catch a cab. I don't mind getting a cab; I mean I do have some money saved up..."

"What a _coincidence_, I'm staying after today too." Jake sang with a smirk.

Sherry glanced over her shoulder at him. "You are? Why?"

"Detention."

Sherry laughed, shaking her head at him as she entered her classroom. She stopped at the doorway and giggled at him again while he leaned against the doorframe outside the room. Once her laughter died down she hummed and a little blush came to her cheeks as they gazed at one another. "Can I walk home with you?"

"I don't walk home, Sherry. You ain't scared of motorcycles are ya?" he asked with a sly smirk.

She played with the end of her dress coyly. "Um, I've never ridden a motorcycle before... and I'm wearing a -"

"That's no problem, I'll go easy on you for your _first ride_." he chuckled when she caught his implication and her face turned cherry red. "Aw look, it's cherry-faced Sherry." he teased pinching at her cheeks but she swatted him away.

The dainty blonde pulled her cell phone from her purse, shifting the heavy books in her arms. "I should be out of tutoring by 4 at the latest. Think we could meet by the office?"

"Sure thing." Jake said and swiftly stole her phone from her hand, replacing her empty palm with his own cell. "Give me your number - you know, just in case?" Sherry bit her lip and nervously punched in the numbers. They swapped their phones back and stored the numbers into their contacts. "Alright then, take it easy Supergirl and I'll see ya later."

She grinned with red cheeks and entered the classroom almost in a daze. _I have Jake's number! I can't believe this... and he's going to give me a ride home too! Wow... Wait – why am I so giddy about this? Oh who cares, as long as we're getting along everything's swell!_

While Sherry entered her class with a smile permanently etched on her pretty face, Jake on the other hand walked into his class 40 minutes late and received a detention slip for after school.

"Thanks," he told the teacher much to their dismay. "It's just what I needed!"

* * *

"Try to remember all the vocabulary words for the upcoming test. That should help you get a great start if not provide you all the answers you need for preparation." said Sherry to the girl she was tutoring.

"Thanks a bunch, Sherry!" she said, hugging the girl as tightly as she could.

"No problem, Claire." the blonde laughed returning the gesture.

Claire Redfield was Chris Redfield's younger sister; she was a sophomore like Sherry while he was a junior. Vivacious and fun-loving, Claire was a redhead with plenty of spunk to go around.

This was the first time Sherry had ever met the girl and already they seemed to get along exceptionally well.

"Hey, you know I rather like you Sherry." Claire said with a smile. "You're smart, sweet and you're really pretty too. We should hang more often!"

Sherry blushed. "Wow, thanks Claire - I like you too. I would love to hang out with you but when?"

"I'm throwing a party this Saturday and it would be great if you could come."

"A party? Is it your birthday?"

Claire giggled but shook her head. "Nah, I'm a Cancer[1] so my b-day passed over the summer."

"Oh..." Sherry laughed. "Well since we're sharing, I'm an Aquarius[2]."

"Well, that explains why you're so shy _and_ friendly. Aquarians are living contradicts - mysteries to everyone around them so we have to dig deep to understand you."

Sherry furrowed her brows in interest. "Huh, I never thought of myself that way. I guess I am pretty odd - sometimes downright weird." she laughed.

Claire joined her. "Well anyway – it's just a random party because my parents are out of town. I thought it could be fun to just have a good time you know? We'll play games, watch movies, blast music, bang some strange guys -"

Sherry gasped in horror but the redhead just laughed. "I'm kidding! No but really it won't be anything too wild - it might not even be a party but it should be tons of fun. Will you come?"

"Um, I'd love to but I'll have to ask my parents first." she said slowly, fearful this girl would call her a lame or something. "They're very protective..." _I'll have to call them and make sure it's alright…_

"I understand, here I'll give you my number and we can talk about it tomorrow." Claire scribbled her number down on a sheet of paper and handed it to the blonde. "Give me a call after school tomorrow, okay? I gotta go - see ya Sherry!"

The shy blonde watched her leave the classroom, piling out behind other students. She started to put away her things, and then grabbing her bag and purse to make her leave. She waved her teacher goodbye before exiting quietly.

As soon as she came into the hallway there was a sudden uproar of chaos in the classroom nearby. Sherry told herself it wasn't any of her business but curiosity got the better of her and she followed the commotion.

Inside the classroom she was stunned to see Jake fighting with another male in a heated fist fight. He was winning the fight but Sherry could see that his nose was bleeding and her stomach clenched when nausea hit her.

Other students were circling around the fight, cheering and observing the altercation without issue. Sherry dropped all of her things and ran to retrieve a teacher or security for assistance. When she returned with security, they immediately restrained Jake and the other male, quickly hauling them off to the office.

Sherry followed behind them, worried for Jake.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_**[Jake, 12 / Sherry, 11]**_

* * *

Little Sherry sat by the frozen body of water that was once a pond; her eyes were locked on the cloudy skies above. The mid-winter air sent a chill through her, her coat did little to warm her. She had no clue why she was back in the garden - it wasn't even a flowery retreat presently due to the season. There was nothing to see, nothing to admire... no one to meet.

In her hands was the locket her mother had given her just a few days before she first met Jake - that day when they met was the first time she'd ever worn it... She wasn't sure what she was doing there after such a long time. Jake didn't care for her anymore; he didn't even protect her from Alexia and her friends... He'd broken yet another promise to her - his promise to protect her.

Why didn't she expect it from him? Why did she even bother to trust him? She should have been used to people letting her down.

Her mom and dad were always away, when they returned they would promise to spend time with her but each and every time they did - their word was nothing. She knew they loved her but as she got older they seemed to stray more and more.

Still she believed in them and loved them despite her sorrows.

_That's why no matter what happens... I just can't give up on you Jake. _She thought to herself, her tears falling freely. _So why did you give up on me? What did I do to you?_

"I've tried hard to stay strong, I've tried hard to hold up my end of our promise..." she sobbed aloud, her small body quivering as she fought with all her might to keep her control... but it was slipping. "Where did I go wrong?! Why me?! We were so close... where did I go wrong...?"

She clinched the locket tightly in her tiny hands as she wailed loudly. "I'm tired of fighting hard for someone who hates me! I have nothing left!" she balled over the stone border to the pond and just cried. It was cold and uncomfortable, the snow dampened her jeans but she had on layers and didn't care.

The anguished blonde heard something behind her and slowly raised her head to gaze at the apple trees in the distance. They had no apples to pick anymore, they looked like every other tree impacted by Mother Nature's winter season - dead and depressed. Despite this, she languidly rose to her feet and dragged herself in that direction, stopping in front of the tree Jake had climbed many times to drop apples down to her a few years before.

She realized she'd heard snow fall off a branch, her blue eyes studied the icicles that hung from the twigs. Sherry smiled morosely as she imagined them being like apples. She played the memory out in her mind and pretended to catch apples just like she had when Jake dropped them. Dancing around and giggling like a child on Christmas day. She wasn't catching apples in reality and she realized this once her hands were cold from fallen snow.

Soon, she was crying again - her body weakened and she wilted on her feet, swaying to lean against the tree. This caused a piece of ice to break from the tree and as Sherry stared brokenly at the locket in her palms, the ice crashed onto the top of it, knocking the charm from her hand and onto the snow on the ground.

Sherry gasped and scooped it up, only to see that the ice had caused the locket to open. The little girl was in shock, she'd had no clue it could do that.

Inside was a small note from her mother.

_**Think of this locket as a glimpse into your heart. Feel free to put whatever you like in it. I hope you like it!**_

_**- Mom**_

Sherry raced back to her house, her boots flying over the snow so she could reach her destination. She broke through the back door into the kitchen, startling her parents in the next room. She excused herself quietly as she went upstairs to her room and pulled out the bottom drawer to her nightstand.

A while later she beat right back out of the house, leaving a trail of water and slush from the snow in her wake. The small blonde girl returned to the apple trees and swept away the snow there with her hands. After ensuring the locket was closed tightly, she placed it right beneath the snow, digging a small hole she dropped the locket there and buried it.

"Heaven's above... should Jake and I truly be meant to be... then I ask that you wash away this snow and dirt and help him find this." she rose to her feet and turned to walk away. "I can't handle this pain anymore... I'm not strong enough and he's too cold..."

She knew that this would be the last time she would see the garden for a very long time. Sherry shed a few more tears as she left a piece of her heart behind her. _Heaven's willing, when he finds that locket... he finds what I left inside of it, but only when he's ready for the truth. _

_Until then, I will never give up… I'll always have faith in him – even though it hurts me to do so._

Despite anything those girls put Sherry through, they did little to nothing as harsh as what Jake made her feel.

_Lonely..._

* * *

[Present Time]

* * *

"You really should reconsider all this fighting, Mr. Muller." the school's nurse, Ms. Michaela Schneider told him quite harshly. She finished up the bandages around his knuckles and frowned at him. "You'll be in prison before you turn 20, idiot."

Jake shrugged. "He started the fight. Not my fault he couldn't finish it."

Sherry sat quietly nearby. Even though Jake was fine [besides the bloody nose and bruised knuckles] she refused to leave his side. She looked him over now that he was cleaned up; his nose was no longer bleeding and he had bandages on his knuckles. Besides that, he was in mint condition.

When security took statements from witnesses to the fight, they discovered that Jake was being truthful - the other male had started the fight by punching Jake in the nose. After that Jake wiped the floor with the guy and the rest was history.

Still, as punishment for the fight, Jake was suspended from school for two days while the other guy got four days.

The nurse was very irritated by Jake's indifference. She grumbled about how ignorant he was and grabbed her things, leaving the room in a huff. Jake figured she was going outside to the parking lot to smoke in her car like usual.

They were alone now, the school building had quieted down but wasn't empty because of other activities going on. Sherry stared at him with a mixed countenance of frustration and concern.

Jake sighed and sat on the nurse's desk, knocking over a few blank papers while he did so. "I know, I know – you think I'm an idiot too." he grumbled quietly.

"I'm glad you're okay." she said simply and lowered her head to her lap. "But the nurse is right, you're doing no good for yourself by fighting."

"Damn it the other dude started it!" he fussed irritably. "I was minding my own business when he starts going on and on about some bullshit with that girl Jessica! Apparently he likes her and started talking shit about how he could kick my ass for her. Jake Muller doesn't let anybody talk tough-guy shit to him so I let him get first punch and then I beat his ass! It's that simple!"

She bit her lip. "I know that Jake, but all I'm saying is it would be great if you could tone it down. What if you messed up your hand while hitting him? Or what if you killed him?"

"I ain't hit him that hard. I save that type of strength for street fights." Jake said casually, running his hand over his short hair.

Sherry frowned. "Why are you so _cold_?

"Why are you _here_?"

Silence.

She swallowed roughly and finally raised her head to look at him. "I was worried…" she answered softly.

"You shouldn't have been."

Offended, Sherry stood abruptly to leave but Jake shot after her, blocking the door. "Jake, please step aside - I'm going home."

"No you're not, not by yourself." he said firmly. "You need someone to protect you."

"I don't need any protection, in fact, I'll call a cab." she said, pulling her phone from her purse but Jake snatched it from her. "Jake, give me back my phone." she demanded.

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean it like that."

"Yeah, you _never_ mean to hurt my feelings now do you?" she spat quietly, her face reddening in irritation.

"_Jesus_, does everything have to be about you?!" Jake growled with narrowed eyes.

Sherry let out an annoyed huff. "My _God_, Jake – I stayed with you because I was worried for _you_! This had nothing to do with me! It's about _you_! That's why I'm **here**!"

Jake was stunned, he couldn't believe that after everything he'd put her through in the past, she was actually concerned for him. He thought she was just being polite when she said she was worried but now he was sure she was genuine with him. He recalled how she begged the principal to be lenient with him and how she stuck with him through it all.

He knew he didn't deserve her sympathy, but he appreciated it with everything he had.

The delicate blonde began to tremble as she fought off tears. "I-I don't know what to do anymore... please just let me leave." she whimpered.

Jake sighed. "No... I'm not letting you walk home alone."

"I'll take a taxi."

"_No_, Sherry." it was almost like he was begging her to stop challenging him. "Listen, I made a mistake okay? I didn't mean to get you all worked up and worried. But you gotta believe me when I say I really didn't start anything with that _punk_." he filtered his profanity for her sake. "He's got a thing for that girl Jessica and he found out I used to be with her and he's just jealous."

Somehow, that felt like a punch to the gut for Sherry. She couldn't analyze it, but for some reason it made her feel sick to learn that Jake dated a girl who savagely attacked her in 6th grade. _Does he even know she did that to me? _

Sherry began to tremble again and Jake mistook this as anger towards him. "Jeez, Sherry you're still mad?" he asked her with a look of astonishment.

"So… he was fighting you over _Jessica_…?" she confirmed but it came out like a question. Jake nodded to her. "Are… are you still with her? I-Is that why he was angry?"

Jake shook his head. "I broke it off with her in 9th grade but she's obsessed with me and it's so annoying." he growled. "I guess since she still likes me that guy thought of me as competition but damn it I ain't with the girl so he can have her. I would pay anyone to get her off my back."

"Why did you two break up?" Sherry asked, playing with her fingers.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's… a long story but to put it simply – I didn't really like her to begin with but I dated her because she liked me and was relentless with her crush on me. I thought she would get it all out of her system but that has yet to work."

Sherry felt a bit relieved to know he never liked Jessica… but it was pretty uncomfortable to know she still pursued him. Sherry wondered did that put her right back in the crossfire of the girls wrath. "So, you're not with her anymore and you never liked her?" she just wanted to be sure.

"Pretty much," Jake said, picking up on her jealousy. He was shocked that she would be but it really gave his ego a boost to know she was. As long as she was jealous, that meant she still felt something for him after all these years and it was quite amusing. He also felt possessive of her but he felt he was wrong for it; now he knew it was quite normal, especially after her reaction.

"So… how are things with _Quint_? Are you two seeing each other?" he asked her with a raised brow.

"No, Quint and I are just friends and everything is just fine." she replied with a slight furrow of her brows.

"You sure, cuz he ain't got nothing to offer you."

"Excuse me?" Sherry was disturbed by his statement, it confused her drastically. "Quint and I… – we both have something to offer each other."

"Yeah, he's _great_ for you." Jake drawled his words dripping with sarcasm. "You two have such great chemistry that while you're throwing balls against a wall, he's playing video games."

"Jake, don't say such things." Sherry was beginning to feel flustered again. It killed her inside to realize he was telling the truth, she and Quint weren't really on the same page with interests. That said, she loved him as a dear friend and wouldn't tolerate Jake speaking ill of him.

"You know it's true! You're not happy, you're trying to be and you keep forcing a smile to your face when in reality you feel misunderstood by him."

"Stop it Jake!" she yelled and he was taken aback completely. "Stop criticizing my friends. You used to do that when we were younger remember? I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak so badly of Quint."

"Why do you always have to defend him?" he grumbled. Sherry suddenly realized what was going on – Jake was jealous of her friendship with Quint.

She sighed and prayed for patience. "Jake, Quint might be odd and we may not share all the same interests, but we're always sticking together because I feel like it's my job to see to it he does what he has to for success. He's a slacker, but I still can convince him to do the right thing at the end of the day and that's what makes me smile when I'm around him."

"You sound like he's your little brother or something." Jake stated with a raised brow.

Sherry giggled. "I guess he kind of is... so now do you understand why I want you to cool it with the insults?"

Jake was pleased with her response. If Quint was like her little brother then that meant he had nothing to worry about with the guy. "Yeah, I get it and I'm sorry. I just thought you were dating him or something." he didn't care to hide his jealousy anymore, he knew she was aware of it.

"We're just friends, Jake. Now, you think you could take me home? I'm tired and just famished after such a long day."

Jake smiled. "Sure, come on Supergirl."

* * *

Jake led the way out of the school with Sherry trailing behind. They came to the student parking lot; it was empty save for a very big and shiny red motorcycle. Sherry was awestruck by its incredible size and gloss.

"Wow, that looks -"

"Fun? Awesome? Sweet? _Scary_?" Jake boasted with humor. He rubbed the seat with pride. "Yeah, thanks - come on."

Sherry hesitated, fiddling with her fingers and shifting her bag full of books. "I um..."

Jake rolled his eyes. "It's alright Sherry, just come on." he held out his hand for her and she took it so he could help her onto the seat. He waited until she was situated before starting the ride. "Hang on tight to me, okay?" he instructed and she obliged him.

"Where do you stay?" Jake asked once they started out of the schools parking lot.

"Same place I did before I left!" Sherry replied over the wind whistling loudly as the motorcycle picked up speed. She held onto his middle desperately, she was nervous.

Jake remembered how her home was right behind his. His mind wondered for a moment, he felt almost giddy at the revelation she'd returned to the exact same house where the garden they played in stood through all these years and bloomed relentlessly. It gave him a sense of nostalgia. They were right back where they started.

Even after she left to stay with her aunt, her parents never left and her mother continued to nurture the garden in her absence. With the fall season in duration, he didn't bother to sneak over to their old sanctuary. This didn't mean he didn't visit every day in the spring and summer - after all, it was all he had left to remember her.

_But she's back now. She's right here once again._

Riding on Jake's motorcycle was exhilarating; he drove fast [but not too much], the wind blowing through her hair and the sights flying by made Sherry imagine she was on a roller coaster. She was quiet, but a smile graced her features.

Jake was internally stroking his own ego. He could tell she was impressed because he would glance at her through the mirrors and see her face just glowing. He contemplated taking her elsewhere; maybe to get some food at a fast food joint where he could hang with her for a while but he thought against it.

It was too early for him to be so aggressive with their bond again. They hadn't even fully discussed burying the hatchet yet. As badly as he wanted to just be close, he knew he had to be patient.

Still, it couldn't hurt to ask. "You want something to eat before I drop you off?" He asked her.

Sherry blinked, "If it's too much trouble, don't worry about it." she said loud enough for him to hear. "I can make something at home."

"It's not a problem!" Jake told her. "Besides, you look pretty good on my ride don't you think?!" he laughed.

Sherry's cheeks reddened drastically. She was wearing a blue-grey sweater dress, dark tights and brown boots with a thick, tall heel. She thought she clashed with the bike's colors more than complimented. Either way, she knew Jake was just teasing her.

Jake stopped the bike at a local fast food spot that he lurked quite often. They had great food and an old fashioned jukebox. The two entered the busy restaurant and seated themselves in the back where Jake could keep an eye on his bike via the window.

They faced one another at the table, their bags on the seat beside them. There was an awkward silence for a moment until Sherry spoke up.

"Um, I don't know what I should order..." she muttered with her face buried in the menu.

"You still like burgers don't you?" Jake asked with a ghost of a smile. "Theirs are pretty good, you should try 'em."

"Okay, I'll give it a shot."

There was more silence as both tried to feel the other out...

"Man, it sure did get dark fast." Jake mused in a dry tone. "It's starting to look creepy outside."

"Yeah," Sherry agreed while fidgeting nervously. "Um, can I ask... how have things been, since I left I mean?" her eyes were lowered to her lap as she spoke.

Jake eyed her with interest. "Whatcha mean?"

"I-I mean, what's been going on? How's life been for you...?"

"Boring."

"Boring?" she echoed with confusion etched on her face.

Jake smirked. "Yep, everything's been boring since you left." he sighed, he could just feel the assumption she was about to make. "And not because I had no one to bother or bully... but because there wasn't anyone else around that could catch all the apples I'd drop."

Sherry was shocked by his statement. "Are you saying that you...?"

"I spent four years waiting for you to come back..." he gazed out the window at his motorcycle as he spoke. Its gloss was more prominent with the dark skies slowly taking over. "I knew I had to be patient and keep hope that I could..." he trailed off upon seeing the waitress approach.

_Could __**what**__ Jake? _Sherry wondered almost desperately while he gave his order to the waitress. When the woman turned to her she ordered as well and waited for her to leave before trying to press the matter again. "Keep hope that you could _what_, Jake?"

"Nothing." he said dismissively.

And like that his barriers came up again and poor Sherry would have to wait before she would get another opportunity.

* * *

"Thanks for bringing me home, Jake." Sherry thanked him sweetly as he walked her to the front door. "And the food was fantastic too. Are you sure you don't want me to give you any money to –"

"Positive," he interrupted. "And it's no problem."

Her house was cute - an abundant home but not too luxurious with leaves scattered about the yard. Jake hadn't really seen the front of her home before, he'd always came around the backyard.

When they reached the front door, Sherry began to undo the locks and Jake noticed there weren't any lights on in the house despite the early evening calling for it. "Why are the lights off?" he asked.

"My parents are away on a business trip to some science conference or something." she answered, opening the door and slipping inside. She turned to him and blushed. "Um, did you... need something?" she was curious would it be rude of her not to invite him inside after he treated her to dinner.

He shook his head. "How long are your parents away?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe.

She would have been disturbed by the question if his demeanor wasn't pensive. "A week sometimes longer than that, it depends on where they go."

"So you're here _alone_... for at least a _week_?" Sherry nodded slowly, glancing back inside her house to flick on the light beside her. "Isn't that a little lonesome?"

"A little but I manage, I just watch TV, text people and clean to pass the time and besides, the house has security so I'm in good hands... I think."

Jake was skeptical; he knew well what it was like to be home alone for long periods of time. His father would go on business trips just like hers, topped off with his mother making frequents visits to her side of the family in Europe; thus, leaving him alone in the house for weeks at a time.

He'd grown used to it, especially since he was alone much more often after his mom left them to care for his sick grandmother in Europe a month earlier. Jake didn't want to go with her, so he stayed behind with his father. He would talk to his mom over the phone twice a day, get a text from his dad and then just do his thing the rest of the time, relishing in the isolation.

But Sherry was different, she was a _girl_... She needed someone to keep an eye on her to make sure she was safe, and Jake was prepared to do that.

"Just be careful, okay? You have my number so if anything goes wrong call me immediately - got it?"

Sherry felt warmed by his concern for her. "Thanks, I can handle myself but… I'll be considerate and say that if I need you I will definitely do that. And if I can't reach a phone I'll flick the kitchen lights three times."

"I'm taking it that the kitchen is in the back?" she nodded. "...Fine, but remember - keep your doors locked and your phone on you no matter what."

The shy girl rolled her eyes playfully. "Alright, alright I will."

"Good." Jake turned on his heels and made for his bike but Sherry stopped him. He glanced over his shoulder at her with a peaked brow. "What is it?"

She blushed. "Thanks for sticking up for me today... and for driving me home... and buying me dinner... and -"

He cut her off before she rambled any further. "No problem, Supergirl. Thanks for sticking with me - you know, after the fight." he laughed.

"Did... did you want to come inside for a while?" she couldn't believe she was asking him this. She wasn't ready to be so close just yet...

Jake could see behind her cultured hospitality was a quiet discomfort. She was raised to be courteous and well-mannered so she would be a refined girl despite her personal objections - but he wouldn't put her through that. He wanted to renew his friendship with her and was well aware that they needed to take things slowly - feel each other out before breaching more and more boundaries.

He would love to sit with her in the house and just ease his needs for her presence even more, but it was too soon. He messed up with her before; he wouldn't risk being without her again.

"Nah, I'm alright, thanks anyway." he told her with a smirk. He saw a smile come to her face, she was aware of his charitable action and appreciated it greatly. "Goodnight Supergirl, see ya... next week..." he remembered being suspended and internally cursed himself.

Sherry was surprised by herself, she actually felt bothered that he wouldn't be in school until next week. "Um, okay..."

"I could give you a ride home anyway if you like?" he suggested.

She smiled but shook her head. "I'm going to visit a friend tomorrow, but thanks for the offer."

"Who?" The slight frown that came to her pretty face made him withdraw the question. "Never mind, I'll see ya around, goodnight." he started for his bike again.

"Goodnight!" she called to him and watched him drive off with butterflies dancing in her tummy. She couldn't help but be reminded of their past, how he would protect and take care of her while she looked out for his emotional well-being and acted as a support system and conscious for him.

They balanced so well together. It seemed like things were falling back into the right position with them.

_But what does this mean? What are we, Jake?_

* * *

Jill and Sherry stretched out on the brunette's full-sized bed. Jill was on her laptop, surfing the net for funny videos on YouTube while Sherry was going through the TV channels to find a movie they could watch.

Jill's father was downstairs minding his business and watching sports channels in the living room. He was really easy-going and quite funny with a knack for attempting magic tricks. Jill found his exploits embarrassing but Sherry thought he was quite charming with his endless smiles and friendly demeanor.

Sherry was amused that Jill was a true daddy's girl, but she wasn't spoiled in the least. Instead of being given whatever she wanted as a child, her dad had raised her to be easy-going and active, producing an all-around wonderful girl who attracted a lot of men with her beauty and magnetic charm.

Sherry found herself really drawn to Jill. She was such a delight to be around and a very reliable friend. Jill enjoyed Sherry's company as well, she liked that behind her gentle countenance was a silly and playful girl who was game for anything. They'd only known each other for a month so far and already they were talking like BFF's.

When they first arrived, the house was very clean and tidy but after 3 hours of indulging themselves, they'd turned Jill's bedroom into a pigsty. A pizza box was on the floor a few inches away from them, bags of potato chips and candy wrappers were also within range.

The ladies were having a blast just laughing at videos, playing Mario Kart on the Wii, and eating while laughing at bad horror films. Everything was great.

"So, Jill – what's with you and Chris?" Sherry asked with a grin. "He seems to really like you."

Jill blushed and swatted her away with a laugh. "Yeah, I know he does but he's such a stiff, I like to see him melt just for me sometimes. It's cute; he's just like a bear."

"Do you like him?"

The brunette tapped her chin in thought while she moved her finger over the touchpad on her laptop. "I kind of do, I mean I really like spending time with him but he knows I see him as a slight rival sometimes. He and I are pretty good at the same activities and I'm not really one to back down from a challenge."

Sherry giggled, pulling out her phone to check her text messages. She had a new one from Quint; apparently he was getting the high-scores in the Arcade competition, the results would be posted by the weekend. She grinned and texted him back with words of encouragement.

"Speaking of grouchy, stiff males; what's with you and Jake?" Jill asked with a small smile.

The shy blonde blushed pink and her friend laughed at her. "I-I don't know… it's a long story…"

"You two have some history or something?"

Sherry sighed. "Yeah, it's not really easy to talk about either."

"I understand," said Jill. "If you ever wanna talk, I'll be a phone call or text message away – or I might even be right next to you."

The two laughed and Sherry knew she could talk to Jill about it eventually, but for now she just wanted to enjoy the night.

"Well it's getting late so I'd better get going." Sherry said, sliding off the soft bed and standing up to stretch. "It's probably best if I start walking before it gets dark."

"Okay," Jill said. "It would be great if you could stay the night but I understand." at that moment her phone began to ring and she sprang to her feet to answer it. "Oh hi, Chris…" she glanced at the grinning Sherry and rolled her eyes playfully. "You're outside? Why? Oh my God, you are really something. You want me to come with you guys?"

Sherry tilted her head with interest but said nothing and started to gather her things. "I have Sherry here with me, can she come along?"

The blonde was almost alarmed by this. "Wait, what's going on?"

Jill told Chris to hold and placed her hand over the speaker. "Chris is outside with a few buddies and they're just gonna drive around for a bit. They're bored and do this often so it's nothing to be worried about. You wanna come along? I can convince him to give you a ride home whenever you like."

Sherry contemplated it for a moment but eventually nodded with a smile. "I'd love to."

"Oh and by the way, _Jake's_ with them." she whispered with a chuckle.

This made Sherry blush, not from the joke but because she was going to him again and this made her strangely… happy.

* * *

"Okay Sherry, why don't you slide in next to Jake?" Chris laughed, opening the truck door and allowing her to slide in beside the tall red-haired rebel.

Their eyes met for a brief second before Sherry blushed and averted her gaze. She sat down and was stunned when she was pushed closer against him because of the other people in the truck. It was getting crowded and quickly.

Jake shocked her by actually pulling her into his lap to allow others more space. This caused everyone to whistle and cheer; Sherry thought she would die of embarrassment so she hid her reddening face in Jake's nape. Jake wrapped an arm around her middle and placed a hand on her thigh, Sherry squeaked in his ear but he simply laughed it off.

He was elated that she was going to be joining them. Just when he thought he would have to wait until next week to see her – it was incredible that she was actually spending the afternoon with Jill. Jake was pleased greatly, now she was with him again and sitting on his lap with her face buried at his nape, her gentle puffs of breaths against his skin were really tempting.

"So Sherry, you got a curfew or something?" Chris asked her with a smirk.

She pulled her face from Jake's body to speak. "No but I'd like to be home before too late if that's okay?" she was hesitant again. Jake's arm tightened around her for some reason and she shifted to loosen it.

"That's fine, we won't be late anyway, I got work in the morning and Jill does too so no sweat." Sherry breathed a sigh of relief, it was incredible how nice they'd all become after all these years.

_Especially Jake… _She gathered the nerve to lean her head on his shoulder and was pleased that he didn't mind.

Jake couldn't believe how great it felt to hold her like this. She was tall but delicate with a soft body. When she shivered from the cool autumn air entering the truck, Jake allowed her to snuggle closer. He admired that she was still that dainty little fairy that he adored as a child.

"So Sherry, Claire tells me she invited you to her party." Jill said out of nowhere. "You are coming right?"

"Yeah," Sherry said with a smile. "I still need to pick my outfit though." she giggled. She'd gotten permission from her father as he was the nicer one of her parents. He demanded she be home by 10 at the latest though, which she had no qualms with.

_So she's going to Claire's party? Heh, who's to say that I might not pop up tomorrow to hang with Chris? It will be a coincidence as far as Sherry would know. _Jake smirked to himself feeling quite clever.

He wasn't going to push himself on the pretty blonde in his lap but he did plan to spend more time with her whenever he could. She seemed to be relaxing more in his presence so maybe now was a good time to make a small step forward with her.

_Little by little; that's exactly how I'll pace with her. But eventually we're going to have to talk about this… _

Jake wasn't aware but Sherry was secretly feeling the same way.

* * *

A/N: Well, there's chapter 4! Chapter 5 will be pretty interesting [Claire's party XD] and after that is a time skip. XD So there's no confusion, Jake and Sherry are really just trying to restore their friendship right now but those old feelings are still lingering so they show up from time to time.

For the record, I must apologize for Ashley and Jessica's behavior. I actually like both of them [really I had no problem protecting Ashley during RE4 – she made me feel comfy because I was lonely without her LOL as for Jessica, I adore her relationship with Parker and thought she was pretty cool in Revelations though Rachael was/is definitely my favorite on the game].

They're just young fools right now but they're gonna grow up too so just be patient with them and I apologize for offending any of their fans. I mean even Jake was a total jerk towards Sherry and she was just too timid and honestly it was really harsh to just up and leave her friends (Yoko, Quint, and Finn) without saying a word to them. They all have flaws in here [that includes Quint, Jill (who's problems are in the future), Chris, Keith, etc etc].

Everyone's got flaws in here, not just Ashley and Jessica. So just be patient and you'll see what the future holds. :)

[1] & [2]: I got Claire and Sherry's signs by looking up their birth year in chinese horoscopes and converting them to western. I thought their signs were very fitting too. Claire is maternal, affectionate and sensitive like a Cancer and Sherry's reserved but friendly and loyal with a thirst to help mankind just like an Aquarius.

For the heck of it, it's worth mentioning Jill would also be an Aquarius, Chris would be a Capricorn, Jake would be Leo, and Wesker would be a Sagittarius [O.O] LOL I think they all fit too because hey, Jake and Sherry are opposites!

Thanks for all the favs, alerts and reviews – I appreciate them greatly! If you have any questions or concerns feel free to ask. In the meantime don't forget to R&R because reviews help me keep track of how this fic both progresses and if it's easy to follow [I know the flashbacks seem pretty confusing].

See ya soon!

-Vio


	5. From That Day On

_**From That Day On...**_

* * *

_Present Time_

_[Jake, 16 / Sherry, 15]_

* * *

Sherry stood in front of the full body mirror in her bedroom; she was checking out her outfit for the third time that morning. Finding an outfit for Claire's party was turning out to be more troublesome than she first imagined. She had already tried out three different attires yet nothing seemed to put her at ease.

"I wonder if Jill's online right now..." she pondered aloud. She fancied she would ask the brunette for a suggestion.

She trotted to her desk and started up her laptop. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Jill was available for video chat and started a conversation with her once her face popped up on the screen.

"Hey Sherry," Jill greeted with a kind smile when her picture took over the screen. "What's up? Heh, you're still not sure about an outfit?"

Sherry giggled, "Not yet but I'm working on it. I was wondering would you help me?"

"Sure, show me a few and I'll help you." she responded.

Sherry skipped for her closet and pulled out some of the clothes she was considering. She tried on a total of four and it all came down to her last set: An avocado green dress with a thin brown belt around the waist. Jill approved of it immediately so her pretty blonde friend started to accessorize it, putting on black leggings, ankle boots, a colorful scarf, and black jacket.

She thanked Jill for her assistance and the girls disconnected. Sherry glanced at her watch and noted it was still early so she removed her clothes for the time being. The party didn't start until 6:00 pm and it was only a little after 3 pm. She sighed and decided to just watch a little TV until it was time for her to make her way over to Claire's.

They were only a few blocks away from each other so Sherry figured it wouldn't be a big issue to walk there alone.

Just as she arrived to the living room, the house phone rang loudly from the kitchen. She sighed and backtracked to answer. "Hello?"

"Hi honey," it was her father; he sounded quite chipper and it made her smile. "How are you today?"

"Hi, Papa - I'm fine, how are you?" Sherry replied sweetly.

"Missing my little girl but I'm alright." he replied with a short laugh. "What do you have planned today?"

Sherry rolled her eyes at his humor but she was amused by it. "Papa please, I'll be 16 in February - you've got to stop calling me little." she paused when he laughed at her. "Um... Papa... would it be alright if I go to a friend's this evening? Her name's Claire and she's a really nice girl. I won't be out late so..."

His cackling ceased. "Sherry, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why, Papa?" she whined. "I never get to go out anywhere and I finally start making friends and you wanna lock me in the house again?"

"Sherry it's not like that." William said with a sigh. "It's just you're there at the house all by yourself and how will I know you're safe walking there or getting back?"

"I could call you before I leave and when I return - you can also just call me whenever you want on my cellphone." Sherry explained with a huff.

William was quiet for a moment but eventually he sighed once more, submitting to his willful daughter's persuasion. "Alright, but you must be home by 9 o'clock and no drinking at this girl's house."

Sherry squealed with glee. "Don't worry Papa, I won't drink or smoke or anything bad I promise and I'll be here exactly by 9."

"Thanks sweetheart, be careful and have a good time alright?"

"I will, thanks Papa."

"Oh and before you go..." William stopped her before she hung up. "No boys. No boys anywhere near the house. Do you understand?"

Sherry giggled, "Of course Papa, I won't bring any guys around. You have my word. Love you, Papa."

"I love you too, Sherry."

She hung up the phone and skipped for the living room. She couldn't wait for the party.

* * *

Jake and his boys met up at the basketball court a few blocks away from Chris' house. This was their usual hangout spot because a few of them were on the basketball team and thus they thought of it as a perfect place to practice. Their other motives weren't so pure; this was also a place where they gambled and wreaked havoc.

"So Chris, I was thinking..." A guy with strikingly red hair started with a smirk. "If your sister is throwing a party - why not go there and you know, stir up some shit, ya know?"

Chris rolled his eyes but he didn't hide the grin creeping onto his face. "You're always looking to start some trouble, aren't you Steve?"

He snickered in response and added with a shrug, "I wouldn't be me if I didn't!"

Steve Burnside was another sophomore. He was the shortest of their group but he was a pro-gambler and could more than hold his own in a fight. Still, because of his stature and recklessness, the rest of the crew treated him as the younger brother and made sure to look out for him.

"Come on you guys! It's been a minute since we've had any fun!" Steve pushed the topic with a sort of eagerness to him.

Carlos let out a snort. "It's up to Chris. I wouldn't mind dropping by to check out the babe's though." he purred with a sly grin.

Piers shook his head. "Carlos, you can't date Claire - she's his sister and off limits; besides, aren't we a little too old for crashing parties?"

This was Piers Nivans, the reasonable one of the crew. He didn't get into much trouble if any but he was the guy who was always sober enough to drive everyone home and he was just as good with his fists as anyone yet maintained a pacifist persona - something that pissed Jake off, a lot.

_Such a fucking pansy. _He thought with a frown and continued where he left off playing ball with Keith. "You're such a lame, Piers." he spat tossing the basketball through the hoop and scoring. "Pull that stick out of your ass already!"

Piers wasn't the type to take insults well... "Oh yeah? How about you pull the stick from yours instead of worrying about me, dumbass!"

Before Jake could walk over and retaliate with violence, Chris stood between the two and sighed. "Look, chill the fuck out okay? I just so happen to think Steve's onto something..."

Jake didn't respond, he just kept staring Piers down while the former wasn't backing down either. Jake thought Piers was just a tag-a-long who Chris only kept around because they'd been like brothers since childhood; his annoying self-righteousness was a thorn in Jake's side that he was itching to yank out and stab the guy with.

_Fucking waste of time is what this puppy is. _Jake thought, balling up his fists in a silent rage. Any other time he would've choked Piers up but he was trying to stay in a good mood.

He wanted to see Sherry today and if Steve and Chris had a plan to make that happen, he was certainly going to love hearing it.

"What ya talkin' 'bout?" Keith asked with a raised brow.

Chris chuckled. "How about we follow up on Steve's idea? It would be great to catch Jill off guard for once..." he stroked his chin dramatically and earned a laugh from Carlos.

"Oh, but I can't flirt with whoever I want?"

"Jill's mine bro, no offense but I'll fight for my girl." Chris said almost too seriously. Piers rolled his eyes in irritation for his 'brother' and turned away from them to sit beside their other crew member, David King - a quiet, foul-mouthed junior with little patience for people and Kevin who was joining them for the day.

Jake felt a bit triumphant that Piers' reasoning was once again ignored, and he also agreed with Chris' declaration about fighting for the girl he liked. He would rip apart the sky to make sure Sherry was with no one but him. The only other person who knew this was Chris because he was the only one who understood what it meant to like a girl that he once picked on.

It's true; Chris Redfield had once been mean towards Jill. The only difference between Jake's situation and his is that they were older when it happened and Jill wasn't as sensitive as Sherry. She actually ignored Chris to the point that it baffled him. He tried hard to gain her attention with cruel jokes but she just shrugged him off and did her thing.

Eventually Chris picked up a crush on her and would follow her home like a stalker. Jill was well aware but she as always paid him no mind; continuing in her life and occasionally humoring him with her attention. She was just so carefree and focused that she enthralled Chris without effort.

To this day, poor little Chris was hooked on her airy nature that he longed to make her his. He adored her sunny-side-up semblance and her presence alone made him smile.

_He's obsessed. _Jake thought with a huff. _There's no way I could be that crazy for Sherry._

"All in favor to trash Claire's party?" Keith asked with a laugh.

"You shitheads better not trash my crib." Chris stated, his brows furrowed in irritation.

They laughed and one by one the hands came up. Jake shouted out a 'Hell yeah' and high-fived Carlos and then bro-fisted Keith. Chris looked to Piers who took a moment to finally agree but making sure to add that he would not stick around if Claire called the cops because they were harassing them.

Steve pumped his fist into the air. "Hell yeah! Okay my fellow sacks of shit - here's the deal..."

* * *

Sherry met Jill halfway to Claire's house. Sherry was squealing with delight to see her friend. Jill was wearing torn up skinny jeans and a blue fitted shirt with lace designs around the V-neck and bottom. On her head was a cute black derby hat to match her boots. Sherry thought Jill looked simple but still sexy with her hair loosely curled and freed from its usual ponytail.

"I love your hair, Jill..." Sherry stated breathlessly as she played with her friend's lengthy brown tresses.

"Heh, thanks Sherry. By the way... you changed your outfit?" Jill asked looking the smaller girl over.

"Y-Yeah, I sort of ripped my leggings on a nail when I was on my way out." she explained sheepishly. "Do I look bad?"

The dainty blonde had ended up wearing a peach colored long-sleeved and sheer/see-through shirt with black polka dots scattered about and two rows of loose ruffles above and below the bust, the shirt itself cut off just above her belly button. Her jeans were of the same color as her shirt and she wore black heels that weren't too high.

She hadn't done much to her hair but she was wearing a little makeup; evident by how long her lashes were and her lips were definitely pinker.

"You look lovely." Jill told her as they started to walk again.

"Wow, thanks..." Sherry blushed.

The two strode along, talking about how excited they were for the party as they neared. The sound of music from the awesome band _Queen_ and cheering echoed even more as they approached the Redfield residence.

The house appeared very spacious, there seemed to be only two floors though and Sherry doubted they had a basement. They walked onto the porch and she felt her nerves kick in until Jill put a comforting hand on her shoulder, offering a warm smile. As always, Jill managed to ease her worries.

Claire opened the door to greet the two and immediately threw her arms around them for a hug. Sherry observed the girls' way of dress was even more edgy outside of school. She wore a full body jean suit that appeared to have been modified into short shorts and even the sleeves were cut off. Most of the material was threadbare but still of course stylish. A long slit down the middle would have exposed her cleavage but she wore a black sort of spandex beneath the outfit that stuck out wherever the jean ended.

Sherry could also make out a nice amount of chains dangling from the outfit and the girls' cowboy boots were a finishing touch to this wild child girl. "Welcome to the party!" Claire shouted and allowed them to enter.

The house was bustling with activity. Sherry and Jill looked around with interest at all the new faces and numerous games occurring simultaneously. The girls didn't know where to start or who to greet; Claire was kind enough to introduce them first.

"Hey everybody! This is Jill and Sherry - be nice!" she beamed with a grin.

Jill noticed the guys take an immediate interest in them. She directed her attention elsewhere, observing people playing spin the bottle, some playing a drinking game, seven minutes in heaven, and there were others who had wondered out the back door to the big backyard with the outdoor pool [though it was sealed off because of the season].

"Claire, who are all of these people?" Jill asked with a raised brow.

Claire pouted; Jill always acted like a big sister to her by making sure she didn't get in trouble. She usually didn't mind but now she was wondering why she invited her brother's love interest... in hindsight it wasn't a bright idea. _She's lucky she's a cool girl... _"They're friends from my old school." she said with a shrug.

"They're serving alcohol, Claire - Chris is going to have a fit." Jill explained with an uneasy expression. "I love getting a kick at him but Claire this is pretty bad... I hope no one's driving."

"No worries, they all walked here." Claire explained. "Well, you two have a good time, I'll check up on you in a minute - first I gotta go beat the shit outta the asshole who threw up in my kitchen floor..." she growled and stormed off on the hunt for blood.

Sherry sent Jill a perplexed look. "So... what now?" she smiled softly.

Jill bit her bottom lip in thought and when a light bulb went off she grinned. "Chris has an epic game collection in his room. Let's go!"

The small blonde followed behind her friend through the crowds of people dancing and getting wild, enjoying _Don't Stop Me Now _by Queen as it rocked the house courtesy of the giant speakers in the living room. The girls reached the stairway and climbed it to find none other than Helena Harper guarding the door.

"Helena, what are you doing here?" Jill asked.

"Claire paid me fifty bucks to stop the morons from coming up here, and I was invited like three times and told her no but she insisted I just come for the hell of it." Helena replied nonchalantly. "Why are you two here?"

"We were invited too." Jill answered with a smile. "Hey, Sherry and I aren't morons; you think you could let us in? We just wanna play Chris' game."

"You'll have to ask Claire. Besides, why not enjoy the party downstairs a bit first? It's all good as long as you stay away from the alcohol - I think your girl Sheva is down there too."

"Sheva's here?" Jill got a sudden glint to her eye and tugged Sherry down the stairs with her. "Thanks Helena! Come on Sherry, you've gotta meet Sheva!"

"S-Sheva?" Sherry questioned.

"She's a friend of mine, she goes to our school but we only have one class together. Still she's a really cool person, you'll like her."

The girls finally found Sheva dancing with a few others in the backyard to another song that came on, _Love Game _by Lady Gaga. Sherry shook the older girl's hand, she was pretty with cat-like eyes and a tattoo on her shoulder. Sheva encouraged the girls to dance with her and Jill jumped in without hesitation.

"Come on Sherry!" the girls said welcoming her to join.

She hesitated for a moment but eventually gave in and begun to dance with them. Sherry was a shy girl but that didn't mean she didn't know how to move. She picked up on the other girls dance movements fairly quickly; Jill and Sheva were twirling with her and just having a good time.

Sometime after the song went off and another came on, Claire showed up and joined the girls while they danced to Michael Jackson's _The Way You Make Me Feel_. Claire gripped Sherry's hips while she swayed them alluringly, Jill danced in sync with Sheva, and they all were incredible to see.

"You two look like slice of heaven!" Claire complimented with a laugh Sheva and Jill when they joined hands, pressing one another's cheek to the other and danced playfully.

Sheva laughed loudly. "Your babe's looking pretty good too!" she gestured to Sherry as she dropped down and back up quickly, earning some _wows_.

Claire gave her backside a few slaps and Sherry squeaked trying to pull away from her. She hugged her and the two laughed.

"Someone should go drag Helena down here, get her ass some action." Jill said suddenly.

Claire agreed, "I'm gonna go scare everyone out here so she can join us. Be right back!"

It took the fiery redhead a mere two minutes to throw everyone out and successfully **carry** Helena out with her. She literally returned with the baffled brunette in her arms. Everyone was laughing and soon Helena was too.

The music blasted from the house loud enough for the backyard to liven up the party even more. Claire began dancing on some random guy; he was pretty handsome and seemed nice enough. Jill and Sheva started entertaining guests with an almost suggestive performance over one another. Meanwhile Sherry helped Helena loosen up and moved along with her, their hands were on each other's hips and they were moving together close enough but not to the extent as Sheva and Jill.

The girls had no idea they were being watched...

* * *

"Holy shit... Sheva and Jill look so hot...!" Carlos said from the bushes he hid behind along with the other guys. They'd taken up an arc formation in the bushes behind the house and within a few feet of the party's current location.

Chris' eyes were wide, he was both entranced and confused. _Am I not manly enough for Jill? Or... or maybe she likes chicks and dudes... or just chicks...? I'll be damn if I lose Jill to a damn chick! _His internal dilemma didn't seem to be letting up.

"Hey, check out Piers' girl grindin' up on Sherry!" Keith teased with a big grin.

Piers had a very distinct twitch under his left eye. He was stiff as a board, he knew Helena wasn't above having a good time... but she was having a good time without him and that hurt his pride so much. He couldn't say he didn't like what he was seeing though.

Jake on the other hand was fuming and he wasn't the only one. For some reason, Steve was cursing under his breath too.

The two redheads were both focused on the girls they liked. It was no secret that Steve liked Claire but Chris was always nagging him about it was against the group's code. Still, Steve rebelled against this and pursued Claire whenever Chris wasn't looking; he liked her that much.

Jake growled deep in his throat, he saw how much fun Sherry was having without him and it really brought him unease. He wanted to dance with her and hold her hips while she wiggled her cute behind against his body. He imagined her skin was still soft to the touch as he stared at the milky skin of her flat stomach. He wondered did she still have that bewitching aroma that she carried with her while in the garden and even when she left.

"Why are we waiting here?" Jake growled impatiently; he was tired of waiting for the cue - he wanted to get close to Sherry already.

"We're waiting for one of the girls to touch some unlucky douchebag - then we move in and crash the party." Chris answered calmly.

"But Claire is already touching some sack of garbage." Steve stated obviously aggravated.

"Chill out, if they don't do anything in the next five minutes, we'll move in anyway - got it?"

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_**[Jake, 9 / Sherry, 8]**_

* * *

Little Jake watched the small Sherry nourish the flowers in the garden with her watering can, a pleasant smile on her cute face. He leaned against the fence separating the lavender fields from the many perennials that gave an enchanting bright and colorful embellishment to the other side of the pond.

The one she was currently watering was very pretty but Jake had no idea what it was. Bright and pink he felt almost blinded at first. Sherry turned to him and smiled. "These are peonies." she said. "Beautiful aren't they?"

Jake nodded slowly and approached her. "They look like... girls." he said with a slight twitch.

Sherry giggled. "I guess they are pretty girly." she touched one of the soft petals and sighed blissfully. "They're such delicate blooms..."

"Are they your favorite?" he inquired innocently.

She shrugged. "I like them but my mommy told me they're a flower that means _shame_... and that sounds sad. The odd thing is they also mean a happy marriage and shyness."

"How can a flower have a meaning?"

She took his hand and led started to lead him through the garden of flowers. "They all have meanings in the language of flowers." she said. "Take this flower for example..." she leaned over to observe a patch of colorful blooms. "These are lily's, they mean lots of things but the white ones mean innocence and purity."

"Weird..." Jake drawled in a dry tone, observing another flower that was orange but similar. "What's this one?"

"That's also a lily; a _Peruvian_ lily." she plucked the flower from its root, sniffed it and handed it to Jake who accepted it quite awkwardly. "It's funny you notice this one."

"How's that funny?" he asked irritably. He didn't appreciate Sherry giving him something so girly.

"It symbolizes devotion and friendship." she said sweetly, her cheeks tinting pink and a warm smile graced her face.

Jake narrowed his eyes; he didn't know what made him take interest in the flower - it wasn't like he felt a connection to it, he just noticed it looked wilder than the rest. Still, it was rather interesting that he picked the right one for him he supposed. "Do you like this flower?"

Sherry nodded. "I like them a little, but my favorite flowers are sweet peas, orchids, lilacs, gardenia, lavender -"

"Okay so you like a **ton** of flowers." he grumbled and she giggled at him. "But what do they mean?"

"Orchids mean delicate beauty, lilacs can mean innocence or the first feeling of love..." she blushed and fiddled with her fingers. Jake blushed too but coughed and quickly averted his eyes from hers. "Oh and um gardenia... hmm, I can't remember..."

"How could you forget your favorite flower's meaning?" Jake asked with a raised brow.

She shrugged sheepishly. "I just like the way it smells... but lavender I do remember means love and devotion – wait I think I remember now, gardenia meant something like secret love or something…"

Jake was amused, he had no clue that flowers were actually important enough to have a meaning behind them. He noticed there was a link between all of her favorites. They all seemed to involve that mushy stuff everyone called love. Jake was too young to care for love... but he did care for Sherry more than he was willing to admit.

"I think that flower looks a lot like you, Jake." she said suddenly with a giggle. "Your hair is almost the same color as the petals." she explained, her watery eyes shifting from the orange lily flower he held, to his hair.

"Really?" Jake asked with a grin and put the flower stem in his mouth to make a weird face. When she screamed, he playfully began to chase her.

Sherry darted for the pond. Leaping over a patch of flowers that willfully grew along the water; she slipped into the water suddenly and slid under to emerge a moment later, soaked head to toe. She was surrounded by an army of aquatic plants when she surfaced and looked around.

Jake quickly came to her rescue but relaxed when he saw she was alright. The evening's arrival made the sunset above bring a romantic glow to the world around them and lighting bugs danced prettily, but the beautiful image of a young water nymph, born among flowers was what completely stopped him in his tracks. He was enchanted by the sight of her.

Sherry stood, whimpering a bit and Jake pushed himself towards her to free himself of the trance. "Sherry, are you okay?" he asked, stepping into the water and wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm okay, thanks Jake." she said with a smile.

They gazed into each other's eyes then, windows to one another's souls. Jake happened to see something in her hair suddenly and he went to pull it away, it was a small white bloom, he noticed it looked an awful lot like the others floating about the pond.

"It's a water lily." Sherry whispered, secretly enjoying her friend's embrace. "They mean purity of the heart and eloquence… whatever that means."

"It's like saying someone has a great way of speaking. They have an eloquent way of speech." he said feeling proud of his moment of diligence. "You need to work on your words more often, Supergirl." he teased with a grin.

"I think so too..." Sherry mumbled with a blush coming to her cheeks.

"Sherry," Jake muttered softly. "You never told me what a sweet pea meant."

_Oh, wow he's a great listener... _she thought, appreciating his kind gesture. She smiled shyly and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for a lovely day... goodbye."

Jake was stunned by her actions and sudden dismissal of his presence. "You have to leave now of all times?"

She giggled. "Silly, that's what the sweet pea stands for."

He started to laugh with her, feeling relief wash over him. _One day, I'd like to compare you to a flower. But there has to be one that's as perfect as you and that can't be an easy find. _He thought burying his face into her wet hair. She smelled like the garden around them. To him, Sherry was the personification of a flowery garden paradise.

"The sweet pea also means blissful pleasure." she said softly, suddenly feeling sleepy with the arrival of evening. "As in, I'm blissfully enjoying our time together." she giggled.

Jake grinned and made a mental note that he felt the same way.

* * *

_Present Time_

* * *

"Phew, I'm beat..." Jill said tiredly leaning on Helena who looked equally spent.

"I'm thirsty," Sherry said while fanning herself. It wasn't hot outside but dancing had heightened her body temperature.

Claire nodded, opening the sliding glass doors to her house. "Come on, we'll leave the rest of the party out here to-"

Just then a sudden uproar of commotion erupted and the girls were startled to see a bunch of guys wearing masks like from the horror movie _Scream_. In their hands were guns and they begun to mercilessly shoot people with them while unleashing an inhuman screech each time.

Everyone was running around in a hysterical panic and Claire reacted quickly enough to pull Sheva, Jill, Sherry and Helena inside just in time to slam the door shut and lock it from the inside. She was terrified to see all her party guests leaving in boat loads, taking off from her house to leave out of fear.

A second later a loud crack was heard and the whole backyard was covered in a thick smoke. Sherry crouched down instinctively and shivered in fear. Sheva held her close to comfort her while Jill flinched into Claire's back. Helena had ducked down like Sherry but she was farther into the house than the other girls.

"W-What is going on?!" Sherry asked loudly, shaking uncontrollably. The music was still blasting in the living room so it was difficult to hear each other speak, topped off with the screams and shrieks of terror, everything was barely audible.

"I don't know!" Claire replied. "Jill, you go turn off the music! Sherry - someone call 911!"

Jill ran to do as she was asked while the other girls all pulled out their phones. They were disturbed to see their phones had no connection. "No bars!" Sheva cried out worriedly.

Claire started for the house phone when another loud bang was heard. Sheva screamed instantly and Helena and Sherry followed suit. Claire turned to the back door just as Jill returned from the living room. The house was quiet now and a dark figure banged on the glass doors while sliding themself against it. There was a knife in this person's hand and that set off alarms for all the girls.

"Oh my God!" Jill shrieked backing away from the door, the other girls followed her example.

"Come on, come on, come on!" Claire shouted frustrated, slamming her fingers onto the buttons of the house phone. She was trembling so badly that she couldn't steady herself.

Soon there was banging coming from everywhere: the windows, the front door and anywhere else. The girls huddled together in terror, unsure why they were being targeted by some deranged psychos.

Just as Claire almost pressed the talk button to dial 911, the phone rang. She picked up by accident but held it against her ear anyway. "Hello?! Please whoever this is you have to help me! My friends and I -"

"Are in some serious danger." said the voice on the other end. It was deep and held a growl to it.

Claire shrieked and dropped the phone just as the power in the house went out. "Oh my God! Oh my God! This is not good!"

"What do we do?!" Helena cried out in the dark.

Sherry was shaking uncontrollably as she desperately held onto Sheva by her shirt. "I-I'm scared..." she whispered.

"Okay, girls we have to keep calm." Jill instructed while observing that the backdoor was now void of the figure that was once there. "We're gonna have to find a spot to sneak out and get help."

"There's no way all of us could do that without getting caught and killed!" Helena exclaimed.

"Unless two of us act as a distraction while the others leave..." said Claire in a soft whisper.

"N-No way, that's suicide!" Sherry refused.

Suddenly Jill's cell phone rang loudly bringing them all to a frightful silence. "Oh my God, you have a signal Jill!" Sheva gasped.

Jill quickly answered. "Hello?"

"We're upstairs now girls..." Jill made a nose of disgust and hung up on the creepy voice to call 911 but instantly the connection was gone. "_Shit_!"

"What's going on?" Claire asked.

"The connection is gone already!" Jill fussed and all the girls were sure it was the first time they seen the girl lose her cool. "We're screwed if we don't get out!"

"Why?" wondered Sheva nervously.

"Because they're..."

_**Thump, thump...**_

The girls all froze upon hearing footsteps upstairs; all eyes widened. A moment later, the sound of the front door opening caught their attention and Claire immediately raced towards it. The other girls tried to stop her but she wasn't going to stand back and let someone enter her home without permission!

She slammed her body against the door. "Girls we've gotta try and stop them! Helena - you and Sheva go block the upstairs door! Jill, help me block this one off! Sherry, make sure all the windows are down and locked! All of you move - **now**!"

They all acted immediately. Sheva and Helena raced up the stairs and pressed their bodies against the door as someone fiddled with the door knob. Jill pushed a couch against the door once Claire jumped out of the way. The two then proceeded to push the coffee table and even the bookshelf. Sherry made sure the back door was locked and then sprinted to every room on the first floor to lock the windows.

She walked into a room that looked like a personal study and checked the window in there. She cursed when she noticed the window was up and was very much stuck. She would need to use all the strength she had to push it down. It shut finally and she took deep breaths to calm herself and locked the window.

Sherry nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the door shut loudly behind her. She twirled around to see a tall dark silhouette donning the same Scream mask as the one who was on the back door. She screamed in terror as this figure lunged at her and pinned her to the floor.

"P-Please stop!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face. "Please don't hurt me! Please don't hurt me!"

As soon as she was tackled down she heard the other girls screaming outside the door. She felt helpless - they were all going to be killed! She sent prayers to the Gods above and said silent apologies to her father for not listening to him when she should have stayed home and to her mother for not being able to see her again.

The figure on top of her just loomed there, unmoving and yet strong enough to hold her down effortlessly. She was crying desperately, begging and pleading to be set free. She cried to her attacker about how scared she was and how she couldn't bear the idea of leaving the people she loved behind so soon.

To her surprise the figure dried her tears with their gloved hands and pulled her into a hug, rocking side to side while she was still on the floor. "Get up and go to the living room." they demanded sliding off of her. She couldn't stop crying as she did as they asked her, turning back to look at them frantically often to make sure they didn't harm her while she wasn't looking.

She saw the other girls on the floor in the living room, sitting and each crying with agony except Jill who was holding onto her cool by a mere thread. Surrounding the girls were many guys, all carrying guns and concealing themselves behind Scream masks.

Sherry sat down beside Helena and faced the floor. The girls didn't even look at one another. They were just too terrified. None would have thought that a perfectly fun evening would turn into a night from hell.

"I guess you could say this party was... to _die_ for." one of the masked men spoke and instantly they all drew their weapons. The girls screamed and begged to be spared but mercy was denied and the guns fired.

Jill was hit in the back of the neck, Sherry in the chest, Sheva in the head, Helena in the stomach, and Claire was hit in the face. Jill and Helena fell forward into the carpeted floor face first; Claire, Sherry and Sheva were knocked backward by the blow.

The girls lay there, completely taken out by the masked assailants.

A few moments later, Jill touched the back of her neck – she was surprised she felt no pain. She felt something wet where she was hit and when she looked at it... it was...

"_Paint_?" she whispered in disbelief, turning her head towards Helena just as the other brunette peeked her eyes open in revelation. Her hands were covered in blue paint from where she was shot.

"W-We're _alive_…?" Sherry noted softly, glancing over at Claire and Sheva. They were wide eyed but suddenly aware that their lives remained untaken.

"…_Son of a _**bitch**!" Claire cursed, sitting up to glare at the masked men.

Steve ripped off his mask first and grinned quite cleverly. "_Gotcha_!"

The girls were completely floored when all the guys revealed themselves. They were all too stunned to move for a while; the guys clapped, cheered and high-fived each other, all full of laughter with the success of their prank.

Claire slowly rose to her feet and stalked over to Chris first. She slapped him hard across the face and growled before cursing uncontrollably at her brother. "You bastard!" her face was red with fury. "We thought we were going to be _killed_!"

"Yeah I know!" Chris laughed despite the sting of her hand print on his face; he flinched when she threatened to strike him again so he restrained her iron fists. "You girls were so scared! It was classic! By the way, Steve… that phrase at the end left a lot to be desired. '_I guess you could say this party was... to die for!_', you would have been better off going with the _Die Hard_ movie line like Keith suggested."

"Told you!" Keith sneered.

Steve rolled his eyes. "Whatever, you're all just jealous!"

"_Steve_..." Claire growled and approached him. He made a quick bolt for the back door when she began to chase him. "I'll kill you, you asshole!"

Helena stood up and gave Piers a hard punch to the gut. "You are so **dead**..." she grumbled angrily.

Sheva and Jill were speechless. The brunette just stared at Chris' smug smirk and wasn't sure what to say. He had bested her and that didn't sit right with her. He was not about to get away with this – revenge had to be hers and she had to be clever when thinking of a plan in the future.

Jake stood by and watched Sherry's reaction. She was facing the floor and was unnervingly quiet. He was about to approach her when he saw her jerking strangely. She started making an odd noise and he worried he may have hurt her but a moment later she threw her head back in laughter.

"_Oh my God_!" she laughed. "I was so scared! Good one, guys! I thought I was gonna die!" the guys thanked her for appreciating their work.

Sheva started to laugh along with her and soon so was Jill. Helena and Claire on the other hand were still aggravated but acknowledged it was a good prank nonetheless.

"Alright, you dickheads may have got me this time but next time I'll be prepared." Claire stated with a smirk.

Jill stood up and came to loop arms with Chris. "How did you guys manage all of this?"

"Well it was all Steve's genius but we had Jake get one of those cell phone interference gadgets from the store, I shut the power off, we all brought our own paintball guns and masks, oh and David had the smoke bombs."

"You all owe me ten bucks."

They all laughed and Jake approached Sherry, offering a hand for her to take and stand. She willingly accepted his gesture and stared into his rain-like eyes with amusement. "You're quite clever, Mr. Muller."

Jake smirked, "Thanks, I get that a lot."

She rolled her eyes and pulled out her cell phone to check the time, it was 8:45pm, she needed to get home in the next 15 minutes or her father would worry. "Gosh this has been quite the party... but I gotta get home now." she said with a shy smile.

Claire sighed but a grin came to her face. "Well, it certainly wasn't planned to be this way but thanks for coming and I hope you had a good time anyway." she hugged the small blonde tightly.

"Thanks so much Claire, I had a blast. I got to dance and even had my first lesbian experience!"

Silence enveloped in the room but Sherry didn't mind, she just winked at Helena and got one in response. Carlos whistled out a 'nice' and Keith agreed with a big grin. Jill started to laugh at Chris' dumb face and Piers' expression of a man without a clue of what his life meant anymore.

"Every girl's first lesbian experience is at a party! You guys know this!" Claire shouted wrapping an arm around the laughing Sheva's waist.

Jake grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly. He hated to admit it, but despite his selfishness of her, he would have loved to see whatever the two girls had done.

Sherry hugged everyone else before she took her leave, congratulating all the guys for literally scaring her to tears once again. No one missed when Helena gave her a kiss on her cheek before she left and Steve fell to the floor cursing girl on girl action for crimpling him once again.

When Sherry was leaving out, Jake stopped her with a gentle grip on her arm. "I'll walk you home."

"You sure?" she asked sweetly, brushing the big blue spot of paint front her shirt but not resulting in much effect.

"Yeah, come on." he waved everyone a goodbye and ushered Sherry out first.

"Thanks for walking her, Jake." Jill said to him. "I was gonna walk her but I gotta get revenge on this big dope in here." she giggled pointing at the snickering Chris nearby and Jake nodded in acknowledgement to her before he departed with Sherry.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_**[Jake, 12 / Sherry, 11]**_

* * *

Sherry waited in the office for her father to arrive and take her home. After what Alexia and her friends had put her through, she felt entirely defeated. Her cute dress was ruined and she was filthy from being assaulted by the girls all over the restroom floor.

The secretary periodically would glance her way and offer an apologetic look for the small girls' predicament. Alexia and her friends were going to have a meeting with the school counselor so that this event never happened again, but everyone including the principal thought this was too light of a punishment.

But what could be done? The girls had wealthy parents and thus seemed untouchable. Sherry was in over her head when she was made a target by the girls and no doubt would be terrorized once again if she returned to the school.

_I don't want to attend this school ever again. I never want to see them again... _She had tears streaming down her bruised cheeks as she faced her lap.

Her ears perked up when she heard a familiar voice sound out upon entering the office. Her head raised just in time to see Jake's father, Albert Wesker, approach the secretary's station. "I'm here to pick up my son, Jake Muller-Wesker." he said flatly.

Sherry hoped her father came soon, that way she wouldn't have to face Jake once he arrived. Wesker noticed the small girl in the corner of his eye and turned to her. "Little Sherry, what has happened to you, child?" he asked, his uninterested tone almost seemed like he was forcing himself to worry for her.

She shook her head, unable to talk about it. "Did my son get into trouble while trying to help you?" he pressed, coming to stand nearby.

The small blonde felt bitter anger inside her with his questioning. He knew fully well that she and Jake weren't friends anymore - so why was he pushing this? "M-Mr. Wesker... J-Jake's mean to m-me." she cried. "He p-picks on me... and y-yells at me..."

Wesker tilted his head with interest. "Tell me, how exactly does he pick on you? And what does he yell at you for?"

She sniffed softly. "He k-knocks over my things, he t-teases me, he stares a-at me all the time, he corners me to y-yell at me about my f-friends and tells me he hates me... I don't even know why! We were b-best friends!" she choked on tears in between words so badly it wasn't easy to understand her but Wesker was able to keep up somehow.

"My son is quite the fool, little Sherry." Wesker said calmly. "Instead of explaining how he feels he lashes out. I do not believe my son hates you at all little one."

Sherry wiped at her tears but they still escaped her. "B-But he says it..."

"The behaviors you describe are not behaviors of a boy with hatred in his heart, but of a boy with a crush he's not mature enough to understand."

"A _crush_?" Sherry echoed with wide eyes.

Wesker nodded. "He's just too much of a young fool to realize how he feels."

William Birkin arrived just then and sent a nod of acknowledgment to his business partner before rushing to comfort his daughter. Within moments he'd spoke with the principal, learned of the situation and soon after they were outside on their way home.

Birkin felt hurt seeing his little girl so sad. "Would you like some ice cream?" he asked while focusing on the road.

She shook her head solemnly and stared out the window quietly. She felt too sick to her stomach to do anything but go home, shower and change and then sulk in her room alone. She played the words of Jake's father over and over in her head but couldn't believe him. If Jake liked her, he wouldn't have left her to be assaulted by Alexia and her friends.

Sherry felt betrayed and unloved by Jake; the one who promised to keep her safe... and didn't when she needed him most.

* * *

_Present Time_

* * *

Jake and Sherry didn't say much on the walk home, they just walked side by side this quiet evening. Jake kept his focus straight ahead but his thoughts were of how much it hurt him to see her crying and begging him not to hurt her. It reminded him of his poor treatment of her during their childhood.

It actually amazed him how much he'd changed. He used to get a sort of pleasure by torturing her but now seeing her crumbling and begging for mercy made him want to do nothing but hold her close and promise he'd keep her safe.

When he did just that, he had no idea what had come over him. Maybe it was because he was in that costume and felt anonymous at the time but his body moved of its own accord and next thing he knew he had her pulled against him. She was so tiny yet beautiful. He remembered her delightful smell; she smelled just like a garden, just like he imagined she would and it sent pleasurable shudders through him.

He hated that he had made her cry during their little prank but it was all in good fun and at least she wasn't upset... so why did he want her to be?

They turned onto the walkway to her house and once they stepped onto the porch, Sherry opened the door and turned to him with a smile. "Thanks for walking me home, Jake." she said shyly. "And thanks for pranking me to tears."

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "You're welcome, the best part was seeing you laugh afterwards." but then his expression became demure. "The worst part was seeing you cry... Sorry about that Supergirl."

Sherry smiled warmly to him. "Thanks, Jake but I'm alright. It means a lot to me that you cared enough to hug me."

Jake's cheeks flushed a bit but he coughed it off; she saw the blush anyway. "Tch. Yeah, well you were bawling your eyes out and I had to stop you - that's all." he responded with a scoff.

Sherry stepped into her house and leaned her head against the doorframe; she didn't know why but she felt so... comfortable with him. Jake was really proving himself to be trustworthy and kind - like he was when they were younger. He was considerate of her feelings, he comforted her when she was afraid, loved her smile and he was still protective by wanting to walk her home and keep an eye on her.

She took a deep breath and released a blissful sigh. _I know I promised Papa I wouldn't but... _"Are you... doing anything tonight?"

Jake didn't budge, he searched her eyes for any type of doubt or hesitance, he saw none and it made him feel giddy inside. Could it be that they were finally on the same page? "No, I don't have any plans. I'm probably just gonna head home, why?"

"Wanna spend some time with me?" she asked slowly, a pretty blush coming to that pearly skin of hers.

Slowly, a smile crept to his face. It wasn't a smirk, it was a genuine smile. "Yeah..." he was his soft but hoarse response. _She looks so cute..._

Sherry allowed him inside and shut the door, locking it behind them.

The two spent the rest of the evening together watching TV, quietly enjoying one another's company. It wasn't until midnight that Jake decided to head home. He exited through the back door with the idea to just cut through the sleeping garden and go straight home. As his shoes stepped onto the leaf-ridden pavement, he glanced back at Sherry standing at the door, leaning against the door frame with a deep blush stained on her cheeks.

He couldn't help but wonder... "Sherry, does this mean we're... _friends_?" he asked.

She smiled and gave him the answer he longed to hear. "I'd like that."

Jake felt elated but kept his mask of indifference. "So, can I uh, see you tomorrow?"

She giggled. "Sounds great!"

He smirked, "I'd offer you a sweet pea -" her eyes lit up. "You know, to say thanks for the fantastic evening and offer a goodbye… But the season doesn't call for it. See ya around!" and with that, he turned on his heels to make his stride home; his hands stuffed in his pockets and his head held high. Sherry watched him go and felt the butterflies partying in her stomach.

_He has such excellent memory... _She thought and swooned once he was far enough away to not hear her. _Maybe his father was right, maybe Jake really did have a crush on me… but that was so long ago. Surely he doesn't still feel the same…?_

Time had given them patience and helped them to grow not just physically but mentally. They didn't have to make any new promises to one another this time, they still had to fulfill the old ones they had first.

Being friends now was a perfect start for them but the two of them were well aware that it wasn't all they wanted from each other.

With time's will, they may achieve just what they want but they both were still keeping secrets and in order to move forward, the truth would have to surface...

* * *

A/N: And there's chapter 5! I hope you guys/girls liked it.

Thanks for all the favs, alerts, and reviews they mean a lot to me. Next chapter the two are going to be a year older, let's see where they go from here. XD I'm planning for them to go on a school camping trip soon, it may be next chapter or may not be, either way around its coming up soon.

Reviews are very appreciated and if you have any questions or concerns feel free to ask!

See ya around!

-Vio


	6. You And I Would Be Together

_**…You and I would be together…**_

* * *

_Present Time_

_Junior (11th grade) year_

_[Jake, 17 / Sherry, 17 (just turned in February)]_

* * *

Sherry walked beside Jill along the dirt trail, the girls were visibly elated at the prospect of being in the outdoors over the next few days. They were joining Chris, Jake and the others for a camping trip over spring break. It was something they've planned all year since Chris and Jill were graduating this year.

Jill and Sherry had grown very close since they became friends and Sherry always got emotional whenever the topic of Jill going to college came up. Everyone would laugh about it but the end result was that they were sad the two seniors were graduating. They couldn't imagine coming to school without them.

The girls closed in on everyone and greeted them with cheerful waves. All taking part in this trip consisted of: Chris, Jill, Jake, Sherry, Steve, Claire, Piers and a very reluctant Helena. They were planning on splitting into two's for partner purposes [as Chris put it], but the girls knew this was a ploy the guys had in mind to harass them.

Chris had finally come around to Steve's crush on his sister. He realized Steve meant her no harm and simply liked her fiery personality. The red haired boy was overjoyed that he had a chance with Claire after so long – now all that was left was to win her heart.

Sherry and Jill had been dropped off at the site by Jill's father while Chris and the others had driven here in his truck. Everyone was carrying heavy bags and were well dressed for the occasion. The group hiked their way to the center of Raccoon's forests guided by the map Chris attained. Their cabins weren't much farther away as they were lucky enough to get one near the lake.

They kept straight on the dirt trail and came around a corner when they took in the intoxicating aroma of pine trees and the sound of a river in the distance. From there they could clearly see their cabins. Two very nice wood cabins with settler-styled influence. Immediately Claire squealed and snatched Jill by the arm, tugging her ahead towards the cabins.

"Helena, Sherry – come on!" she shouted excitedly ahead.

"Claire, slow down!" Jill pleaded – she feared she may fall forward with her face in the dirt and gravel if she continued pulling her like this.

Eventually everyone followed the red head's lead and raced towards their cabins. They were right beside the lake with stones and rocks acting as the border between the backyard and the lake. A small boardwalk protruded out over the water for [if preferred] people to sit on and wet their feet instead of submerge. The water was clear and reflected the early morning's sun so that it sparkled.

Their cabins were side by side and surrounded by grass with a few trees here and there. The friends started to race to enter the houses but were stopped by Chris and Jill. "Okay here's the deal," Chris began while holding up four keys; two blue, two red. "We need to split up into four's because each of these houses has two bedrooms. I imagine the girls want to sleep in a room together or –"

"How about Sherry, Jake, Steve and I take one cabin and you four take the other?" Claire interrupted with a smile.

"I would have thought you'd want to share a room with Jill –"

Claire smacked her hand over Steve's mouth. "Shh…" she whispered. "I'd rather stay in a room with you but I can't if Chris is around!" she said into his ear.

Chris realized his sister was scheming but before he could comment, Jill spoke up. "Alright, that sounds fine. Helena, I hope you don't mind sleeping alone because I'm staying outdoors for a few nights with Chris."

Helena raised a brow, "Another friendly rivalry competition thing with you two again?"

"Yeah, Chris and I are going to face the natural elements! Isn't that right, Chris?"

Chris was visibly irritated, "Yes… Jill…" he grumbled.

"Helena, if you get lonely – you and I can stay in a room together." Piers said with a sheepish grin. Chris noticed a very giddy look to his friends' eye.

"W-What? But I –" Helena was cut off by Jill.

"Sold then!" she chuckled lightly. "I mean really, let's be honest here – we're all here in pairs so let's just stick to it. I'm sticking with Chris, and Sherry you would like to pair off with Jake, wouldn't you?"

Sherry's face turned scarlet as she lowered her head. "Um…" _I actually wouldn't mind staying outdoors myself… _Sherry thought but said nothing about it. "Um, Claire and I aren't sharing a room?"

"We can if you want to." Claire said quite forcefully.

Sherry realized that the mahogany haired beauty wanted to room with Steve. She turned shyly to Jake – he was patiently awaiting her answer, _I actually don't mind sharing with him at all… _"Okay Jake, you mind staying in a room with me?" she asked sweetly.

He smirked, "Not at all."

"It's settled then, let's go inside and put these heavy bags down." Claire said after taking a blue key from Chris, Jake took the other and followed behind her with Steve and Sherry in tow.

* * *

The inside was small but cozy with a kitchen, living room and dining room in the same spot. The dining table was in the center of the floor, a love-seat and armchair on the immediate left upon entry and the kitchen on the immediate right topped off with a few cabinets, a refrigerator, microwave, stove and oven. Straight ahead were two doors; one on the far left, the other on the far right.

Jake and Sherry took the one on the right, Steve and Claire on the left.

The bedrooms were simple, a full sized bed with multi-colored bed sheets and pillows. A rug on the floor, a lamp on the nightstand beside the bed, a window and two doors – one was to the closet and the other led to the bathroom complete with a shower, toilet and sink.

Sherry watched Jake set his bags down and she followed suit, "Wow Jake, your bags look so heavy – what's in them?"

Jake chuckled, "I brought some extra necessities like mosquito repellent, a lantern, extra pillows, oh and an _air mattress_."

"Air mattress? Why did you bring that?" asked Sherry.

"Jill and Chris ain't the only ones sleeping outdoors. I am too." he informed her with a smile. "So don't worry super girl, you get the whole bed to yourself. I'm spending my night's outside." he said proudly.

"Oh…" she bit her bottom lip and turned away to empty the excess contents of her bags onto the bed. "That sounds like fun…" she arranged her necessities into her backpack and the rest she stuffed into her duffle bag, placing it in the closet.

Jake looked at her and smirked, he knew she wanted to camp out too but he wasn't going to push her – he was waiting for her to ask him if she could. After all, he brought extra pillows and blankets for her too but she wouldn't need a sleeping bag because his mattress was big enough for the two of them.

Besides, she didn't mind sleeping with him any other time.

Ever since they agreed to be friends, things were actually quite pleasant. They sat together during lunch, he drove her home every day, and she would always treat him to a nice homemade meal if he came by her place late and her parents were away. She also offered him a spot in her bed if they were gone.

In fact, a month ago he had stayed with her for a whole week and her parents had no idea. They were just friends so it wasn't like they were fooling around together or anything – just watching TV, chatting and playing any type of game they could come up with.

They were the best of friends again.

The two had even taken a stroll through the garden behind her house a few times, waiting for the apple's to grow. They planned to spend time there again after the camping trip was over because the tree would surely have bloomed by then.

Sherry was glad to be on better terms with Jake but on the other hand wasn't sure she could call things 'great'. Jake's ex-girlfriend [or whatever she was to him] Jessica was becoming quite the mean and evil girl she was back in elementary and middle school. She had no idea why either. Even Ashley had joined in on the bullying again along with her little followers.

Sherry hadn't told Jake about it and for some odd reason the girls never tried bullying her while he was around. Many times she debated telling him what was going on but whatever Jessica was to him, she didn't want to keep pushing the topic. He told her already in 10th grade that she wasn't special to him so Sherry knew she shouldn't concern herself with it.

But she just couldn't help but wonder what it was that had Jessica so strung on him.

The pretty blonde was torn from her thoughts when Jake took her hand in his, "Come on, let's go meet with the others." he said, luring her out of the room with both of their backpacks in his other hand.

"B-But I was about to change…" Sherry protested.

Jake whirled around to her and looked her over. She was wearing blue jean shorts that were just long enough that they weren't riding up her backside, a white spandex interval jacket with a zipper in front, a short light blue scarf around her neck, and on her feet were a pair of white and grey hiking shoes. "You look great." he said, admiring her shapely legs. "Really great…"

Sherry blushed, taking her solid black backpack from him and placing it on her back. "Thanks." she took a minute to study him too. He wore a black almost spandex hoodie that wasn't at all baggy like his usual attire – she could see the indentation of his muscles through the material. He had on beige shorts that came down past his knees and red and black hiking shoes that matched his backpack. "You too…"

He smirked, rubbing her messy blonde hair playfully before retreating back into the room to return with some extra supplies. He made sure to stuff a few water bottles into her bag before he ushered her outside. The others were patiently waiting for them when they arrived – everyone all geared up and ready to go.

"Jeez, it took you two long enough." Chris said when they arrived.

"Mind your own business, Redfield." Jake grumbled irritably – knowing full well why the older Redfield was saying that.

Chris laughed it off, "Alright well, here are some maps…" he offered a map to Jake, Piers and Claire. "Feel free to explore whatever you want but let's make sure we're all back here before sunset."

"Where are you two headed?" Helena inquired with a raised brow.

Jill pointed to the Arklay mountain path in the distance. "We're going to try and make it there before noon, take some pictures and find the gift shop. Anyone wanna join us?"

"Nah, we you two go on ahead." she replied. "I'm fine sticking with this guy." she gestured to Piers.

Sherry peered over Jake's shoulder to see the key locations on the map. Her eyes lit up when she saw there was a garden and pond just past the lake they were by. "Wow, I'd love to go there." she said, pointing to it on the map.

Claire took a gander her way and chuckled a bit, "Oh Sher, you're such a flower child."

Sherry blushed but kept her hopeful gaze on the map. Jake realized she wanted him to escort her there and let out a huff, "Alright, I'll take you there. But afterwards I wanna see the bridge."

"Okay, thanks Jake. Look we can take the bridge pathway back here once we leave the gardens." she explained, pointing to it on the map.

"Well see you guys!" Claire announced – walking behind Steve to the forest. "We're going to see the waterfall."

"Helena and I are just gonna go sight-seeing and maybe check out that big cliff over there." Piers pointed to a cliff in the opposite direction of the mountains where Jill and Chris were headed.

"Alright then, let's get going." Chris glanced at his watch. "It is 9 am – sunset should be at about 6 pm so let's make sure that that's our designated return time, got it?"

After confirming his proposal, they all split up to go their separate ways.

* * *

Jake led the way but held Sherry's hand as they walked along the river's path. She was at his side as they progressed further – the journey to the garden's proved to be a nice walk after all. They realized this when they had to pass by the lake, circle around the river, and climb the rocky terrain just passed the riverbanks. Jake could see the last obstacle for their journey just up ahead.

His hand tightened around hers instinctively, "This might be a challenge." he said, observing the steepness of the climb. Had they taken the high road in the first place they wouldn't have to climb but their cabins were on the lower territory so it made sense they would avoid doing the extra walk just to reach it.

"Yeah, that's quite a hill to climb." Sherry agreed. "But you should be fine considering you climb all the time."

He huffed with amusement, "Yeah but what about you, super girl? How are you gonna get up there?"

She sighed, "I don't know – I mean I could try this. Trying never hurt, right?"

"Or I could carry you up there on my back."

"You could?" she asked bewildered.

He nodded with a proud grin, "I'll carry you up first, then I'll come back down to get the bags and climb up again."

"Jake, that's so dangerous!" Sherry scolded him. "You could get hurt!"

Jake wasn't listening; he removed his bag and hers from her body [quite forcefully] and hoisted her onto his back. He instructed her to wrap her legs tightly around his middle and her arms around his neck. Sherry reluctantly followed his demand and shut her eyes tightly as he started to ascend the steep hill of stones and rocks to the second level of the forests terrain.

She tried to stay as calm as possible while he climbed to not make him nervous as she was. _Happy places Sherry – think of a happy place and stay calm. _

Before she knew it, it was over – they'd made it to the top. Jake let her down a few feet away from the edge and looked at her with a haughty grin, "So much for 'you'll never make it, Jake'." he mocked with a chuckle.

Sherry pouted at first but then threw her arms around him to hug him. Jake was frozen in place. "Thanks, you're awesome Jake." she told him sweetly.

When she finally pulled away, Jake was still stiff as a statue. Her warm smile turned into an expression of concern but he coughed and moved away from her, "You're uh, welcome." he grumbled, peering down the hill at their bags. "I'm gonna go get the bags. Stay right here, okay?"

"Alright…" she replied watching him descend down to the bags with just two great leaps.

She always knew he was very athletic and capable of many things but to think he carried her all the way up such a tricky domain – he was incredible. As he made his way back up to her, she was vigilant to make sure if he needed her, she could provide some help. He didn't need it – he tossed up her backpack and arrived at the top beside her.

"You're amazing, Jake. I mean it." she said with a rosy hue to her ivory cheeks.

Jake offered his hand to her once they both had their bags on again, "You're sweet, super girl." he loved her bashful reaction – she squeaked and hid her face in her palms. He chuckled, "Come on, don't be shy…" he pried her hands from her face and took them in his own. "I'd do anything for you, super girl."

Sherry swooned and allowed him to help her stand. "Did you want to head to the gardens now or shall we find a spot to eat a snack or two?"

He scrunched up his face in thought, digging into his pocket for the map. "Well, the garden is straight ahead, we could give it a good look over and then settle down in the field to eat some beef jerky and stuff."

Sherry felt her stomach growl at the mention of food, "Okay, that sounds good."

* * *

The garden was beautiful lined with flowers of every sort. They arrived through the back entrance – a long pathway with gardens on each side and lovely trees that seemed to touch the skies, their leaves and branches swaying in the breeze. Sherry stopped to take a few pictures of trees with pretty white blooms, explaining to Jake that it was an orchid tree.

She also took pictures of crabapple trees and many others. Jake was quietly taking in the scenery while his friend bounced around him with the liveliness of a child on the playground. He caught sight of some odd flowers but said nothing, flowers weren't really his thing but Sherry loved them so he supported her interests as long as she was happy.

"It's gorgeous here, isn't it?" she asked him with cheer.

"The garden behind your house is much better." he replied, smirking at her.

"You think so...?" she put her finger to her chin and glanced around once, "Heh, I think you're right!"

His smug smirk was evidence he was pleased that she agreed with him.

"Jake, let's take a picture." Sherry pleaded, wrapping her arm around his middle and holding the camera above them to snap a photo. "Smile!" she chimed and Jake smirked just in time for the flash. "Thanks!"

"No problem," Jake said dryly, walking ahead and she followed.

They descended a small flight of concrete steps and walked towards the fountain some feet ahead of them. It was surrounded by more flowers and stood tall in the center of a small pond with little turtles, frogs, and tadpoles enjoying the environment.

Sherry took a few more pictures of the new view. There were more people around now, all taking photos and appreciating the scene. Jake took Sherry's hand once it started to get congested and led her away. "Jake, where are you taking me?" she was thoroughly confused by his sudden lack of patience.

"Let's find a less… busy spot." he said, drawing her closer to hold her around her waist. "There should be an open field up ahead – let's stop there and eat until the crowd disappears."

"Um, okay."

The two escaped the increasing numbers and arrived at the fields. It was nothing more than an elevated grassy plain with a field of lavender blooms below – acting as a border for the gentle river leading back to the forests. Sherry dug into her backpack for a multi-colored outdoor blanket, she handed it over to Jake and he fanned it out before laying it on the grass.

They sat beside each other, sharing whatever little snacks they had in their bags. Jake offered her some beef jerky and she presented him with some tea from her thermos and a few almonds. Their snack time was a quiet one until Jake broke the silence.

"Hey, you remember when we used to play hide and seek together and I would climb the tallest tree… you would never find me." He chuckled lightly, "I just thought about it because of the climb we did earlier."

Sherry smiled a bit, "Yeah, you were such a bully back then. You loved showing how much more athletic you were than me…"

Jake turned to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She looked at him and a blush slowly came to her cheeks as he smiled, "I never saw you as less than me, super girl…"

"Really?"

Jake nodded and returned his attention to the distance. He could see clouds forming in the sky – it was strange because there weren't supposed to be any storms today but then again, spring was rainy season and it was to be expected this would happen. "We should start back, there's a storm coming."

They packed up their things and started to leave, "Are we going to the bridge on the way back?"

"Sure we can – let's try and be quick about it though." Jake took her hand to help her back onto the path; eventually his hand rested on her hip when he pulled her to him.

Sherry put her arm around Jake's waist too, trailing along beside him as they headed away from the gardens. A couple was coming their way, oddly enough they were holding each other in the same fashion and when they saw them, they smiled and stopped to compliment the two friends.

"Aw, they look like us when we were younger." said the woman, she was older – perhaps in her forties.

"Yep – young love." her husband added with a bright grin.

Jake and Sherry blushed but offered sheepish smiles, "Thanks but um, we're just… friends…" Sherry said, Jake noticed the hesitance in her voice.

He nodded to confirm her statement but he was just as grim about it. He really adored Sherry but he had no idea how to go about it. He thought she would have picked up on it by his constant need to hold her and the fact that he was willing to spend quality time with her – something he did for no one else, not even his friends.

Whenever she called him and said she needed anything, he jumped to come to her rescue. He took her out for dinner if she was hungry, took her to the movies, brought her home from school every day and even invited her to his house many times [he never invited anyone there] though she never did visit because she was a 'good girl' and that was 'naughty'...

He was convinced he would get her to come there eventually though.

Sherry had hesitated saying Jake was just her friend because she knew her feelings for him were strong. She never had a guy go out of his way for her like Jake did. If she had a nightmare and wanted him to spend the night with her – he would. If she was bored, she could meet him in the garden and they would quietly enjoy one another's company. He even told her stories from the many novels and books he read in his free time.

He was just so caring – something one wouldn't expect from a hard ass like Jake. He only showed his gentle side to her and she cherished this.

She wished he was more than her friend… whoever he would chose to be his girl would be lucky, he was the whole package and more.

The woman laughed, "We used to say the same thing when we were your age. Now look at us – happily married."

Her husband observed the growing discomfort of the young friends and shook his head with a smile, "Come on sweetheart – let's leave them be."

Sherry and Jake watched the couple depart from them with a wave. Sherry turned to Jake and blushed, "I… I guess we should get going, huh?"

"Yeah… let's go…" he said, tightening his hold on her and progressing forward with her at his side.

_Maybe one day, we can be just like them._

* * *

_**[Flashback]**_

_**[Jake, 12 / Sherry, 11]**_

* * *

Jake would stare lovingly at her whenever she wasn't looking. She was pretty when she smiled - he wished he could make her smile again but he always felt it was pointless. After all, she was going to leave him eventually right...?

The day she left, he felt cheated - like his prediction bit him in the backside... and it wasn't supposed to.

He returned to his house with her locket in his fist. He retreated to his room and stayed there, staring at it like it was the most precious thing in the world.

It was important to him. Just like she was.

He had treated her like dirt for so long. She was the most lovely thing his boyish eyes had ever seen and he hurt her so bad... she left him.

In the end he got what he wanted... and it wasn't what he wanted at all. He cursed himself to the pits of hell and cried for the rest of the evening. His mother worried for him but he continued to dismiss her time and time again.

A boy like him was such a fool. He'd always been but this time he really screwed up.

_Maybe if I take care of the locket... she'll come back and I can apologize... _

He had to think of somewhere to put it. He wanted to put it in a spot where he could see it every day yet no one would bother it or think anything of it. An idea came to him as he leaped from his bed to pull a box from under it. Inside was full of little gifts that Sherry had given him over the course of their friendship. They weren't friends for long... but he made sure to keep every bit of the memories of her inside this box.

He kissed the charm and for a moment, as it stirred in his hand - he wondered did the little trinket open... It sounded like something was inside by the minute rattling he could hear coming from it.

Was it possible it had something inside? He discarded the thought out of fear that if he tried to open it - it may snap in two and be ruined forever.

This locket was the last thing she left for him, it was his last memory of her - he would never bring any harm to this locket. After all, he broke her with his foolish abrasiveness - he wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

As long as he kept it safe - he would have a chance to see her again. He wanted to make things right, he wanted to be with her once again.

Should she ever return to him, he would redeem himself to her. If he ever saw her smile again... he prayed it wouldn't be only once. He prayed he would see it every day for the rest of his life because he never wanted to let her go.

He made a promise that should he see her again - he would invite her over and show her that he found it. The look on her face and the hug she would give him was what he looked forward to.

Without her, he is just a boy with no one to care for and no one to care for him...

Without her, he cannot smile, he cannot do good - he is simply without love for anything.

With her, he is a force to be reckoned with.

With her, he is **whole.**

* * *

_Present Time_

* * *

The next day everyone met up for a nice swim in the lake. Piers and Helena joined Claire and Steve in a nice game of Marco-Polo, Jill and Chris started a friendly race in swimming and Jake and Sherry played catch with a beach ball.

The sun was bright today as well, not a cloud in sight but the weather was reportedly going to get pretty bad in the afternoon. Jake, Jill and Chris weren't worried – they all had waterproof tents so as long as they were inside, they didn't care. In fact, it rained yesterday night and didn't bother the three one bit.

Claire and the others were persistent with trying to convince them otherwise but it was fruitless. Sherry even offered to share her bed with Jake but he was adamant he would be fine.

Sherry had lain in bed that entire night debating with herself should she ask to sleep outdoors with him or not. She regretted not having the guts to do so.

Jake tossed the ball pretty high and it escaped Sherry to land in a tree right behind the house. The wind was partly to blame for it so she didn't fuss at him, "I'll go get it!" she hollered, pushing herself through the water to climb the stones onto land.

"How? You can't climb that tree." Jake said, coming up behind her.

"I'll try it! Watch my back, okay?" she requested, grabbing onto the lowest branch and attempting this goal of hers. Jake had always climbed and for once she wanted to give it a shot.

"Careful..." Jake said, hovering below her as she rose further to the ball a couple branches away. He tried not to admire her shapely buttocks but her cute blue and white two-piece bathing suit gave a nice view of it.

She reached for the ball once it was within range. Her middle finger pushed it just enough that it rolled out of the tree and bounced on the ground. Jake clapped, applauding her for successful endeavor. "Way to go, super girl!" he praised with a smirk, "Come on down now… and be careful, alright?"

Sherry was internally patting herself on the back, she was proud of herself – she had succeeded in doing something just like Jake could. She slowly tried to climb down but the unthinkable happened.

She slipped.

Jake sprang into action, catching her before she hit the ground. Unfortunately, the ball was right behind him and when he stumbled backwards, he slipped too.

They fell backward – luckily they missed the stone border and crashed into the water. They emerged a moment later, gasping for air and still clinging to one another desperately. "You okay?" Jake asked breathlessly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." she replied, thanking the Gods that she survived such a scary event. "Thanks for catching me, Jake. I'm sorry – I slipped and –"

"Don't apologize, you did excellent!" he commended with a grin, "You got the ball didn't you? Stop being so hard on yourself."

Sherry managed a small grin of her own, "Thanks… I guess I am pretty critical of myself."

"You shouldn't be, you're an amazing girl." their eyes met at that moment and Jake continued on, "You're smart, you're funny, you're sweet, and you're beau –" Jake caught himself immediately – he almost went too far…

Sherry couldn't believe her ears – Jake had almost called her _beautiful_… "Jake…" He averted his gaze but she cupped his face to meet hers, "It's okay Jake, I think you're the most wonderful guy I've ever met."

"Really?"

"I enjoy every moment I spend with you. I always have…" she said tenderly.

Silence enveloped them; they stared dazedly into each other's eyes, reading and trying to understand the others. Neither realized they were moving in dangerously close…

"Jake! Sherry!"

The sudden disruption started the two and they sprang away from each other instantly. Sherry's watery eyes were wide with shock and embarrassment while Jake went from surprised to pure unadulterated irritation. Their moment together had been interrupted – who knows what could have occurred had Jill not called for them! Jake wondered did Sherry realize what had almost transpired…

She did.

And though she didn't show it, she was just as upset as he was.

* * *

Later that night, the rain picked up steadily and thunder cracked loudly across the skies. Jake sat inside his cozy tent with his head resting on a stack of pillows and an old fashioned lantern at his side keeping his surroundings illuminated. In his hands was a novel by one of his favorite horror novelists, H.P Lovecraft called _At the Mountains of Madness_. As the gentle storm carried on outside, Jake was thoroughly enjoying himself.

He had a fairly large tent; red, white and black in color – the inside was spacious enough that he was able to fit a full sized air mattress inside as well as his bags and other knickknacks. Chris and Jill were sharing a tent nearby him but they were in front of their cabin and he was in front of his. Their tent was similar to his but it had sections so they didn't have to sleep together in the same space and that seemed to be a big relief for Jill...

She retreated to her section of the tent and left Chris to his...

Jake recollected the talk he had with Chris earlier; it wasn't a very pleasant one either.

Chris was starting to lose faith that he would ever have a relationship with Jill. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried to make moves on her, she would distance herself from him or write it off as a joke. Jake hated seeing his friend discouraged but there wasn't anything he could say to lighten him up.

Jake didn't know Jill too well but he always figured that she just wasn't the type who was interested in dating. It was as if she was against the idea in general. Oddly, Chris assumed Jake understood girls and actually had confirmed a relationship with Sherry so that was why he came to him. Breaking the harsh truth wasn't easy but Jake wasn't going to lie about it.

He and Sherry were friends… just friends.

By the time Chris finished revealing his troubles about Jill, Claire had come over – apparently she had overheard the conversation. She offered to give some advice and the visibly distressed men allowed her to.

She explained things to them about Jill that was pretty intriguing.

Claire informed them that Jill was afraid of losing her identity if she started dating. She also didn't want to be looked at as a sidekick for a guy, she wanted to be a partner and on the same level as him. She didn't believe there were guys out there who didn't mind her ideals but when she met Chris, it baffled her and as a result, she's utilizing a defense mechanism and retreating away from him. It's so unreal for her that she had a hard time accepting it.

It really didn't help that Chris used to demean her when she first came to Raccoon high school - she still had a few scars from that. He tried tearing her down once and suddenly he had a crush on her... It was all too sudden and Claire asserted that it was important that if Chris wanted to get Jill's heart - he had to apologize for what he put her through and assure her that he has no more ill intentions.

Chris couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was shocking to hear that Jill was afraid of being with him because she thought he would [technically] deem her lesser than him and go back to his old ways of harassing her. Chris went on to ask Claire if Jill's need to compete with him came from her need to be equal to him and she confirmed it.

Jake was briefly reminded of Sherry at that moment. How she climbed the tree so she could be like him… He recalled her saying how he seemed to be the more capable of the two of them and that upset him. He always thought she was incredible – she never gave herself enough credit.

Even though he had nothing to do with Jill; he saw a similarity between them – both wanted to be on equal ground with him and Chris…

And they were to blame for it – because the one thing he and Chris had in common with the counterparts was that they picked on them.

Chris shared with them his desire to straighten things out with Jill before they graduated, Jake and Claire wished him all the luck…

As the storm continued outside, Jake let out a sigh. He wanted nothing more than to run into the cabin and just confess the truth of everything to her. He wanted to tell her what made him change, what was going through his head, and above all else… he wanted to tell her _why_ he had changed.

_I should just go right now. I should – _

His thoughts were brought to a halt when he noticed a dark figure looming outside his tent. Jake tossed his book to the floor and balled his fists, ready to strike at any intruder. But the soft voice that came from the other side was not of a stranger…

"Jake? Are you asleep?" Sherry asked gently.

Jake opened his tent immediately and helped her inside. Luckily she wasn't out there for long or she could have been soaked but she seemed fine - damp but fine. Jake wrapped some blankets around her so she could lie on the mattress comfortably and then zipped closed his tent. Sherry let out a blissful hum as she warmed herself - his tent was nice with the blankets and many pillows behind her head.

"Sherry, what's going on – you alright?" he asked worriedly, lying on his side so he could face her and then brushed a few dampened blonde strands away from her face.

Sherry lifted her head out of the bundles so she could speak, "Could I… sleep with you tonight?" she asked boldly. She refused to lie awake another night, fighting with herself over whether or not she should come to him. She could only hope he would let her.

Jake couldn't believe what he just heard, _Da__mn, what are the odds that just as I'm about to come to her – she comes to me? _"Of course, super girl." he drawled with a smirk. "You had a few nightmares and want big, strong Jake to protect you?"

She rolled her pretty blue eyes and snuggled some more into the blankets, ignoring his comment for the time being. "Thanks… this is quite comfy." she said but it was muffled by the covers around her until she pulled them away, "What were you up to out here?"

"I was reading… and thinking about some things…" he replied, observing her under the dim lighting from his lantern. She was so pretty – she looked like a little butterfly emerging from her cocoon.

"Thinking about what?"

Jake sighed – it was now or never. "I was thinking about you." he replied, turning so that he lay on his back. The tent was quiet for a moment, the gentle sound of the rain tried to lull him to sleep but he would stay awake for her. "It's… about time I tell you the truth."

Sherry waited patiently for him to speak and was rewarded soon after.

"When I told you I didn't remember why I was so mean you, I lied. I do remember – I always have." he started in a tone just over a whisper. "I was an ignorant little boy who was selfish back then... The thought of you leaving me was unbearable so a switch went off in me. I didn't want you to go and instead of just hold onto you for dear life, I tried to let you go so that if you left me... I wouldn't be hurt. Funny thing is, I got hurt anyway – but I deserved it. I started treating you like dirt even though you were the most wonderful girl I ever met. "

"Jake..." Sherry started sadly. "What made you so paranoid? What made you so angry?"

"I was stupid." he said penitently, shaking his head as he gazed at the tent above. "I'd never met a girl like you before and I was just angry at the idea of you being out of my life... I should have been there for you but I was selfish. I hated myself every single day after you left because I lost you due to my own ignorance... To see you now, this beautiful girl who left because of my stupidity… it kills me."

He looked over to her and realized she had a few tears escaping her eyes. "All of this... over a _misunderstanding_?" she closed her eyes, "Why didn't you talk to me? Jake... why didn't you _talk _to me?"

"I was an idiot, that's why." Jake said with pain visible on his face. "I was a fool who thought he meant nothing to you..."

"No Jake, _no_..." she whined miserably. "You meant everything to me! It hurt so badly when you started to ignore me... I came to our spot in the garden every day to see you and you just stopped coming! I tried so hard to stick around but I couldn't..."

Jake tried to keep his distance but soon he felt himself turn onto his side, wrap his arms around her slender frame and draw her closer. "I'm sorry Sherry, I'm so sorry..." Jake was trembling now too, he wouldn't let his feelings get the best of him, but he was hurting... bad.

"Why didn't you just talk to me?" she sobbed, choking on each word. She was pouring her heart out, letting out all of the pain and sadness she'd felt years before. She repeated the question over and over.

"Sherry... it's okay. Please calm down..." he said softly and awkwardly. She was scaring him. He hoped she wouldn't flip out on him...

"I just wanted to be close to you... I was never going to leave you, Jake. I planned to stay because of you… but then you started being so mean I…" she sniffed, her tears were soaking his shirt. "Gods it hurt so much..."

"I know – I know... I'm so sorry. This is all my fault – I'm the reason why you left ain't I? Because I hurt you ...It was because of what I did at the dance that day right? Please, Sherry – tell me why you left."

Sherry pulled away some to look him in the eye. "Y-You... didn't know what they did?"

"_They_? Who are _they_?" Jake asked, a dark look coming to his stormy eyes.

_He really doesn't know... oh my God. _She sniffed and fell against his chest. "I can't talk about it, Jake. Not right now…"

"Who are _they_, Sherry?" he pressed sternly.

She was at a loss – she knew she could tell him what happened but she was hesitant because with his new breakthrough, she feared he would blame himself for being unable to protect her. She sighed, unsure what to tell him. "I'll tell you another time, okay? It's something I'm still not comfortable talking about."

The truth was, Sherry was afraid to talk about it. She dreaded the idea of being assaulted by Jessica and the others for telling Jake what they did. She knew he would go confront them without hesitation and then they would find her and attack her again…

"Okay Sherry… Just promise me that you'll tell me eventually." Jake whispered, burying his face into her nape.

"I… I promise."

He sighed, "Now that I told you the truth, I really want you to understand something, Sherry. You're not just my friend, you're… my other half that makes me whole."

"Really?"

"Yeah… and even when I was being a big fat jerk to you… I missed you. I missed your smile, I missed spending time with you." he stroked her hair gently, "We were supposed to be together forever… when we're together – we're at our best. You're not just my sidekick Sherry – you're my…"

"I'm your what, Jake?" she asked anxiously, pulling away to stare him in the eye.

He smiled, a warm and genuine one. "I spent four years waiting for you to come back – I prayed for patience and I wanted to keep the hope that… you would return to me and I could make up for my mistakes with you. I want another chance, super girl – I want another opportunity to be with you… I want…"

He cupped her face and she was completely enthralled by him at this moment. The gentle rhythm of the rain outside, the dim lighting in the tent, the warmth and solitude they had… she was in a trance as she listened to him tell her what she'd longed to hear for a long time…

"I want to protect you from the storm. I want you to feel safe with me once again… I want us to start over. I want the chance to…" he cleared his throat and grinned kindly to her.

It was the same smile he gave her the first day they met.

"I want the chance to make you my girl."

* * *

A/N: Okay everyone, there's chap 6! Sorry for the wait, I got sick recently and it made me tired as heck. :(

Well, next chapter is the final chapter. I'll try and have it posted as soon as possible but with my new college semester around the block, that may prove a problem but I'm damn sure gonna try! XD

Thanks for the reviews and patience! Your feedback makes this all rewarding :D

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact me, in the mean time, see you guys/girls soon!

-Vio


	7. Even Beyond The Garden

…_**even beyond the garden.**_

* * *

_Present Time_

_Senior Year_

_[Jake, 18 / Sherry, 18]_

* * *

Jake walked down the hallway with his head held high; today was the big day – today was the day he would ask her. At last, after months of putting it off and beating around the bush – he was finally going to do it…

Today, he was going to finally ask Sherry to go to prom with him.

One might wonder why it had taken so long for him to ask her, well that's because the same day he asked her to be his 'girl', she was unable to answer. Jake knew she was hiding something and it wasn't good. He just couldn't put his finger on it but she was afraid of something and he was determined to figure out what it was.

Despite all his attempts, so far he had been unsuccessful. The most he did get out of her was consent to pursue her romantically but she begged him to be discreet about it. He was skeptical of her reasoning but she was still being secretive.

He had begun to wonder if she had a boyfriend she was keeping hidden – this caused him to keep a sharp eye on her whenever she was with Quint, the only guy she spent any time with other than him. The more he studied them, he began to doubt it highly as her hanging around Quint caused her to be around Keith too.

Yeah, it seemed as time went on Jake and Sherry weren't the only ones who became friends. Quint and Keith were the best of friends now and even though Keith was still teasing him from time to time, they got along just fine.

Jake knew that if Sherry was in fact involved with Quint, Keith would have told him but the guy always assured Jake that Quint was too busy obsessing over Jessica to even give Sherry a glance.

Jessica was another who had gone through a drastic change. She had stopped harassing Jake to the point that they actually were 'okay'. She finally accepted that their relationship was over and instead went on to harass Mr. Vester along with another girl by the name of Rachael Foley.

Poor teacher, he wasn't married or anything but the girls were waiting for an opportunity to jump his bones.

Jake briefly recalled a time period where Sherry used to flinch in Jessica's presence but now she seemed a lot more at ease. It was good to see her losing that anxiety of hers. She was starting to become a much more confident and perhaps overtly optimistic character.

But she was still Jake's little fairy girl. She always would be.

Even though the situation and pain from their past together was seemingly dissipating, Jake refused to let it all rest until Sherry told him why she left. He had been honest with her, it was time for her to do the same.

* * *

Sherry waited by the lockers for Jake to escort her home. She had her books pressed against her modest chest as she hugged them tight and reflected on her day.

Though she didn't look the part, she was very anxious on the inside. With all the talk going around about prom in the next month, she was nervous that Jake would ask her to join him.

As much as she wanted to go with him, she knew it wouldn't work. Ashley was relentless with her and made a daily reminder (as if she were a clock) to corner her every day and instill fear in her…

Ever since the spoiled blonde had learned of Jake's affection for Sherry, she had become increasingly hostile towards her and threatened her viciously, warning her that if she opened her mouth about what happened all those years ago she would see to it that it happened again.

**You will never be good enough for Jake so just stay away from him you bitch! **

Even recalling those words was enough to get under Sherry's skin. It did nothing but bring her back to that dreaded day when Alexia and the other girls assaulted her… Sherry felt goose bumps all over as she remembered the hell Ashley and the others had put her through. She didn't want to go through that again…

Part of her knew that if she told Jake he would protect her, but after what happened before – she wasn't sure she trusted anyone but herself. Especially not when it came to her safety…

_This is ridiculous Sherry, you've got to tell Jake what happened. The longer you keep this going the worse it will get. _She'd told herself this time and time again yet it wouldn't sink in…

She remembered her junior year's conclusion. She thought of the emotional departure she had with Jill as she prepared to go to a university. She was staying in Raccoon City but the idea of being without a dear friend tore Sherry apart that day. The girls remained in contact with each other but with Jill's busy class schedule, she was hardly available for leisure activities.

Sherry reminisced about all the after school get-together's they had and sleep overs where they stayed up all night talking about Jake and Chris. Those were the good days but now adulthood was taking up most of their time... Still, Sherry was just pleased to know her friend still thought about her enough to call and chat.

Sherry was happy for Jill; she had graduated with honors and above all, she and Chris had made up. Sherry was delighted to learn that they were finally a couple and they even joined the same university so they would be together.

Their relationship gave Sherry hope for her and Jake. She still felt guilty for not disclosing the past to him but she simply couldn't… Not with Ashley giving her so many problems.

The public didn't even know they were dating – only herself, Jake, Jill and Chris did so how Ashley picked up on it was beyond the petite girl's comprehension.

"Hey super girl!" Jake greeted her suddenly, snapping her from her inner musings.

"O-Oh, hi Jake…" she replied shyly, smiling crookedly to him and then looping arms with him to walk out of the school. "How was your day?"

"Pretty bland but it's much brighter now that I see your pretty face." he purred earning a blush from her. "How was yours?"

"It's... much better now too." It was the truth. Something about Jake made her feel carefree - like she could take on the world as long as he was with her.

"So, I was thinking we could get some food and then finally stop by my place. Whatcha think?" he flashed a dashing smile to her.

Sherry blushed but was diligently looking around to insure Ashley wasn't around – though she already knew that with it being after school hours she was surely gone. Jake and Sherry would stay after school daily because she was a biology tutor and he was on the basketball team. "That sounds fine but Jake, you know I shouldn't visit…"

"Come on, my dad's outta town and my mom had to pay another visit to my grandma's. I don't get a lot of opportunities like this anymore babe. If my dear ole granny didn't like my mom's company so much I wouldn't get 'em at all." he humored as his arm slipped from hers to wind around her small waist.

"Your granny's still getting sick?" Sherry asked worriedly.

Jake shrugged, "Honestly, I think she fake's it so my mom will come by. She really was sick before but now I think she's just so used to my mom being there that she wants her to stay or something…" his demeanor changed from upbeat to sullen.

"What's wrong Jake?" Sherry searched his eyes for answers as they rounded the corner out of the school yard. Ever since they got together they decided to start walking home in the warmer weather to enjoy each other's company. Jake used to dread it but he'd gotten accustomed to it over time.

He sighed and looked down at her small form with a soft smile, "Nothing you should worry too much over."

She was very much worried for him, but took his word for the moment. He'd tell her eventually.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_**[Jake, 18 / Sherry, 17]**_

* * *

Sherry stood in the girl's restroom and was tidying herself up when Jessica entered. Immediately, she began packing up her lip gloss, comb and other items but she wasn't fast enough – Jessica stopped beside her and Sherry mentally kicked herself for even coming into the restroom alone. She knew she should have asked Claire to come with her…

To her surprise, Jessica's presence was not one of malice… there was something lighter to her all the sudden.

"Hey, you mind if we talk for a minute?"

Sherry was baffled but shrugged after staring absent-mindedly at the girl for too long. Jessica offered an awkward smile and cleared her throat before speaking, "I noticed that you and Jake are really close… closer than I originally thought."

"A-Ah, yes we are… Pretty close, I mean." She replied meekly.

Jessica nodded, "I feel I owe you an apology."

"For what?"

Jessica put her hands on her hips and faced the ceiling to gather her thoughts, "Well, the other day I had a chat with that creepy friend of yours." Sherry assumed she was speaking about Quint, "I was trying to figure out if you had seduced Jake or something but the information I got from him was… totally not what I was expecting."

"What did he tell you?" Sherry asked slowly.

"He said that you and Jake's history together wasn't the happiest but you two love each other anyway." She sighed, "And all this time I thought I could erase you from his mind… but now I see that I never really stood a chance."

Sherry was perplexed, "Jessica…" she approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Were you trying to ease his sorrow…?"

When the brunette nodded, Sherry was quite sympathetic to her. She never knew why Jessica was so crazed about Jake but if she was just trying to bring him some relief from the past… how exactly was she to be viewed as an evil temptress? Her intentions were pure but her execution was perhaps too aggressive…

"I started to get angry when he suddenly didn't want anything to do with me but now I see that it isn't because he was trying to play me… it was because his heart was with you all this time and he never could let you go." Sherry's heart melted for the girl… "I'm sorry Sherry. I should have tried being his friend in the first place – not trying to take your spot in his heart. I never even loved him but you do so... I feel bad for trying to tear you two apart. In the end, the only one that got burned was me… but I was trying to burn you all the same."

Jessica was shocked when Sherry hugged her, "Thank you Jessica."

"F-For what?"

"For looking out for him and trying to love him… it takes a lot to do what you have and I… respect you for it."

Jessica frowned, trying not to get emotional, "How could you say that? After all the hell I put you through – I was one of the girls who attacked you in the bathroom remember? … I should have told Jake what we did. He deserved to know, we deserved to hear him cuss us all out. We had no right to stick our noses into your relationship…"

Sherry smiled softly, "Just learning that you feel remorse for what happened is enough for me, Jessica. It takes a lot of guts to actually come and talk to me about this. I appreciate that."

"Erm, okay…" she offered a small grin herself. "Just… make sure it doesn't happen again – got it?"

The petite blonde nodded earnestly, "I will – is there anything else I can do?"

Jessica tapped her chin with her index finger and then snapped her fingers, "Yep – keep that weird guy away from me. He followed me home the other day… tell him if he stops being so creepy, I just might consider being his_ friend_. But that's a big IF."

Sherry laughed and the girls hugged once more, "You have my word."

* * *

_Present Time_

* * *

They arrived at Jake's house carrying bags with fast food in them. They entered through the front door and Sherry shyly stepped into the home, meeting the living room first. It was a very tasteful room by most standards; walls in a champagne shade with many pictures, maroon leather furniture, white curtains, wood floors, and various antique statues.

Jake took Sherry's things and placed them in the front closet and then the two walked further into the home carrying their food.

The kitchen was very nice; glossy tiled floors, wooden cabinets, marble counters, and solid white walls with appliances of the same color. There was a wooden table beside the window with seating for four people and that was where Jake beckoned Sherry.

She took a seat while he retrieved a few beverages for them from the fridge. "Wow, your house is really nice Jake." she said while gazing out of the window at the backyard. "Hey, you really can see the garden from here…" she giggled, observing the pretty trees and flowers in the distance.

Jake chuckled, "I like your house better. It looks nice inside and out."

"So does yours." Sherry pressed, "Just because your mom's not growing a forest doesn't mean it isn't lovely here."

They both laughed at that.

Jake sat beside her and they started to eat their food; both were eating a cheeseburger with fries and drinking bottled water. They ate in silence for a while until Jake spoke up, "Listen, I'm glad you stopped by. I've been dying to give you something. I'm sure it will shock you – in a good way of course."

Sherry stared at him curiously, "Really? Well what is it?"

"Finish eating and I'll show you." he said, sticking his last fry in his mouth before rising up and leaving to go throw away his trash.

She watched him with a heated blush; she found herself looking at his muscles more and more lately, admiring how firm and sculpted he was through his large t-shirts that failed to hide his godliness. The warm weather pushed Jake to wear short sleeved tees but he still wore baggy jeans and boots – that was a permanent style of his.

She always did think he looked good darker colors but today he was wearing a white tee, blue jeans and black boots. He was quite handsome in white… and it was so easy to see the cuts and rips from his six-pack in lighter colors…

She had to stop herself from staring the instant he turned back to her but she couldn't rid her cheeks of that accursed blush of hers…

"Hey babe, you okay?" he asked with a raised brow.

"I'm… I'm perfect." she breathed, taking a sip of her water. _Calm down Sherry, sure you're here alone with him and anything could happen but what are the odds he wants to sleep with you? No, no, no – Jake's not the sexual type… is he? _She peered at him while he stared down her with interest, a smirk etched on his face.

"You don't look too good babe." he chuckled, feeling her forehead. "Your face is all warm, like you got a fever. You sure ya good?"

"Positive." She answered a bit too quickly for his tastes.

Jake was no fool; he had seen her admiring him for over a year now and no matter how discreet she tried to be about it, he was too observant to miss her shy glances and heated cheeks and deem them a normal reaction.

He knew damn well she was attracted to him in more than an 'innocent' way.

He offered his hand to her since she had finished up her food, "Come on, let's go to my room."

Sherry took in some air as she accepted his hand and allowed him to usher her towards his room. She dropped her things into the trash and then they departed the kitchen. As they climbed the stairs to the second floor, Sherry could feel his eyes on her, studying her – she glanced back to see him ogling her backside and frowned.

_He's definitely the sexual type…_

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_**[Jake, 17 / Sherry, 17]**_

* * *

"Wow, so this is where it all began for you two huh?" Jill observed the garden behind Sherry's house with fascination. Her eyes flickered everywhere, from the pond to the azalea bushes and to the apple tree garden in the distance.

"Yep, but come on – the spot where we met is over here." Sherry led her friend to the exact spot where she first met Jake.

Jill's eyes scanned over the pond and she watched curiously as little tadpoles, frogs and even baby turtles played about in it. Water lilies floated atop the water as well as other equally beautiful blooms graced the pond with their presence.

"Wow, this is a very romantic spot to meet someone." Jill said dreamily. "I imagine it was like a fantasy world for you guys as kids."

Sherry blushed and they sat down on the rocks to witness the beauty this place had when dusk started to show. Jill was in amazement when she saw the fireflies start to dance around, crickets sounded out around them and moon-flowers finally bloomed. It was like a dream world – she could see why this place meant so much to Jake and Sherry.

"So Jill, what made you finally decide to start dating Chris?" Sherry asked with a grin, "You used to go on and on about it never working and stuff."

Jill hummed, "Well, I finally realized that my doubts were all in my head. Chris doesn't think I'm lesser than him at all – we actually meet on the same level in more than just activities… we actually understand each other. That's something we didn't have in the past and once I realized this… I knew he and I could work out pretty well."

"So… you're happy with him?"

The charming brunette chuckled lightly, "Yeah – but his libido is what bothers me. Not sure I can handle all that muscle!"

The girls laughed.

The sun had completely set now and stars glittered prettily across the skies. Jill raised a brow at Sherry when she noticed her fidgeting with her fingers. Before she could say anything, Sherry spoke up.

"Jill…" She started quietly, "I'm gonna miss you. You're one the best people I've ever met."

Jill's heart became heavy, "I'm gonna miss you too, Sherry – but we've gotta grow up and move on. The world is a vast place – just like this beautiful garden and it beckons to us, to see it all… to explore it." she put her arm around her friend. "We can always meet each other again, Sherry. As close as we are – I'm we'll keep in contact for a long time."

"Sometimes it's hard to accept that we're growing up." Sherry said softly. "I feel dread because I feel like so much will change and we'll all lose contact."

"Sherry, true friends never part forever. Though there's a lot of change coming, we'll only lose contact if we allow ourselves to. As long as we put forth the effort with each other, our friendship is limitless." Jill said with a smile. "Time is always moving and constant – just like us. We are not stagnant persons, that why we grow up – that's why we get wiser and stronger."

"_Stagnant_… It's funny you say that. Recently I've been thinking… did Jake and I go wrong with this garden? We met here and it has always been important for us because we made promises here and when they were broken… it tore us apart…"

"Instead of making the garden so important, perhaps you should focus on your bond, no?" Jill implied. "There's nothing wrong with having the memory of this place, or coming here whenever you please. But when we limit our own happiness to something of the past, we can never move forward. Sherry, moving forward means letting go of the past but remembering what it taught you."

"What are you saying, Jill?" Sherry asked hesitantly.

"Sherry, eventually we all move away from home. You know that means you'll have to leave this garden behind, right?"

Sherry turned her focus to the pond ahead, her thoughts wandered. She recalled the camping trip and how wonderful it was to just be with Jake; they spent the night outdoors and they had a great time together – _outside of the garden_.

She then remembered all the nights he stayed over to her house when her parents were away. Suddenly, she realized she didn't think too much about the past and the garden. She was only focusing on the most recent activities and time they spent together. Like the prank from 10th grade, playing dodge-ball with him, being walked to class every day and walking home with him, and how whenever she needed him – he was there.

Even beyond the garden, he was her hero. _She's right… if Jake and I keep letting our bond revolve around this garden then we'll get nowhere…_

"You're right Jill… eventually if Jake and I are to move forward together… we'll have to leave the garden behind us…"

As the two departed from the garden, they held hands. Sherry realized Jill was truly a wonderful person. She had been her friend, been honest to her and supported her no matter what.

Above all, their friendship wasn't limited. Once Jill graduates, Sherry knew in her heart they would forever be friends.

Her relationship with Jake was also limitless. She would be with him forever – even beyond the gardens where they first met.

* * *

_Present Time_

* * *

Jake's room was amazing – at least it was to Sherry. He had the usual components such as a bed, electronics, dresser, chest, nightstand, futon and curtains but he also had an elevated area with a sort of studio DJ get-up. The walls were white but the rest of the room was in his favorite colors; red, black with some splotches of grey here and there. His futon had red cushions but black pillows to it – matching the décor of the bed sheets. He also had black carpet in the room with designs in a white pattern.

Sherry was very much impressed.

"I designed it myself." Jake said proudly, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Cool ain't it?"

"Very…" Sherry said with whistle following it.

"Go on, have a seat anywhere you like and I'll get what I wanted to show you, okay?"

She nodded and walked over to the futon, taking a seat and sighing with bliss at its comforting cushions. She playfully removed her shoes and lay down on her side, tucking a pillow beneath her head. "This is nice, comfy too." she sang with a giggle.

She heard Jake chuckle some and sighed – quietly listening to him shuffle around with some things before coming over to her with his hands behind his back. Sherry sat up when he approached, towering over her. Most would have been intimidated by his height and muscle mass but Sherry was hardly afraid him – more or less she was enthralled by him.

Jake was internally a basket case – he'd waited forever for this moment but he felt shy suddenly. He couldn't wait to see her reaction but then he started playing scenarios out in his mind; some were very sweet like she'd give him a kiss on the cheek like she always had, some were of her just taking it and asking if he stole it or something, and then there was the possibility she would finally give him a kiss on the lips…

He had been anxious for that moment – to finally steal her pretty pink lips and hold her close. Despite being 'together', they hadn't _kissed_ yet… and boy did he want to. He was tired of being a gentleman, for once he wanted to indulge in her warmth, hold her close and kiss her breath away.

_Yeah, let's make that happen… _Jake mused to himself, studying her petite form. She was wearing a white short-sleeve blouse with tiny black hearts all over it, a black skater skirt and red belt, sheer black stockings and some semi-tall red pumps [that she'd taken off upon laying on his futon].

He thought she always looked beautiful but he loved her big blue eyes more than words could express… and right now they were focused solely on him.

Taking in some air, he held out his hands with the golden locket in them. "Here…"

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_**[Jake, 18 / Sherry, 17]**_

* * *

Sherry whimpered as she collided roughly with the restroom wall after the harsh push Ashley gave her. On schedule as always, Ashley made sure to come for her whenever Claire or Helena had class and couldn't back her up.

"I'm warning you, _Sherry_ –" Ashley began with a snarl, "Every time I catch you with Jake that's one more strike to add to the list! Stay away from him!"

"He doesn't belong to you, Ashley." Sherry responded calmly, brushing her clothes off. "Why are you doing this? Jessica's no longer trying to be with him – so why keep hounding me?"

Ashley smirked, "I hate your guts – that's why. You're nothing but bad news for him. I dare you show up to prom – I'll be sure to deliver a repeat of 6th grade. Don't think I won't."

* * *

_Present Time_

* * *

Sherry's jaw dropped as she reached for the little trinket she'd left behind. She couldn't believe that he actually found it! She caressed the surface of it speechlessly, in awe of its gloss and how clean it was. She figured he must have cleaned it when he found it…

"I found it… 6 years ago." Jake started quietly, sitting down beside her. "I was waiting for the perfect moment to return it to you… I've taken good care of it too. I thought of it as a… reminder – a memento of you. I promised the gods that if they brought you back to me, I would do whatever I could to make it up to you for all the shit I put you through…" he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers beneath his chin.

Sherry turned to him and reached for one of his hands, intertwining her fingers with his and squeezing. "Jake… I can't believe you found it. I left it for you… and you actually found it…" _We really are meant to be together after all… but… Ashley… _Tears started to form in her eyes.

"Sherry, hey it's alright –" Jake went to wrap his arms around her when she threw herself at him…

Their lips met.

It all happened so fast that Jake didn't know how to react. His back was against the cushions of his futon as she kissed him. Once she pulled away, her cheeks were flaming red and she stared with a mix of curiosity, embarrassment and affection at him. Jake acted on impulse; he enveloped her in his arms and pulled her back down to him and started kissing her again.

Sherry felt her experience showing and was shy but Jake was gentle with her, gliding his lips over hers while soothing her with his fingers massaging along her back. She sighed against his lips and he slowly slid his tongue into her mouth – it startled her at first but he kept a steady rhythm with her, stroking their tongues together.

Both were quickly losing their breath but kept at it; gradually things heated up – Sherry was seated on his middle with her legs on either side of him. Jake had kicked his legs up onto the futon but had his knees bent to keep her in place. Her hands were everywhere on his chest, she fondled him through his clothes innocently but eventually she lifted his shirt enough to touch his skin and she did so ever so gently – her fingers grazing delicately over his impressive abdomen.

Jake's hands went from caressing her scalp to stroking her thighs and reaching under her skirt to grope her soft buttocks, massaging her with his thumbs and clinching with his other fingers though still careful not to tear her stockings. Eventually she started to moan into his mouth that sent a jolt of excitement through him. By now they both were holding on by a thread to air and needed to pull away – it was Sherry who did so.

They pulled apart to breath, both staring ardently into the other's eyes as they panted desperately for air. Sherry kept her hands in his shirt but Jake's traveled from her buttocks to the front of her thighs, appreciating the shapeliness of her slender body.

Sherry hesitantly lowered herself down again to kiss his neck gently, it was a feathery peck to his skin. Her nose tickled him until she planted another kiss on his ear but went on to nibble on it. Jake let out a low growl and kissed her cheek, running his hands down her back once more. He kissed her nape and her gasp caused him to repeat the action, only this time he lingered there, sucking and tenderly nipping at her milky skin.

He inhaled her scent as he continued this, melting from her alluring aroma of a garden. Her hands came out of his shirt and she managed to hug him, pressing her body as close to him as she could. Jake followed her example but never stopped suckling the sensitive skin on her nape.

Sherry was the one that stopped him, she cupped his cheek so he could face her and then their lips met once again. She nibbled on his bottom lip and enlisted a low grumbled from him – he licked her lips and then kissed her. Their tongues danced together and he cupped her face to kiss her firmly, once, twice and on the third time her whimpers were too much for him to bear so he gave her the full on kiss she desired.

Jake was enjoying every ounce of this – from her soft mewls and coos to her fingers exploring his chest area. He realized Sherry was definitely a sensual girl, coy and demure with a subtle passion to her. She was perfect for him… and he wanted to be her everything.

Sherry couldn't pull herself away from him, he was just intoxicating. He smelled so spicy and it was tempting [at least for her]. His hands were strong but he was so tender with her, she was complete putty in his embrace. His lips were fantastic – soft and the way his tongue felt against hers was amazingly stimulating. She never knew she would feel so strongly for him…

Eventually Jake sat up and pulled her into his arms to lie her gently on the bed nearby. He descended down on top of her to finish his assault on her mouth. Sherry could do nothing but whimper and beg for more which he was glad to provide.

As the sun began to set outside, for the first time ever, they both could accept that this was where they wanted to be and what was perfect for them. They would have it no other way…

* * *

Sherry spent majority of the evening with Jake but later had to start back home to meet her curfew at 9 pm. It was 8:45 pm when Jake started to escort her home, they both figured it would lessen suspicion if she came home a bit early – especially since he had left a very large hickey on her nape…

Luckily Sherry had an extra scarf in her bag and she put it around her neck – her parents wouldn't suspect anything because Sherry wore scarves all the time. The pretty blonde was cursing that her parents just had to be home this weekend of all the other days. She wanted to spend the night with Jake and well, kiss him some more.

He was a great kisser.

She did wonder if he had learned how to kiss so well by experiences with other girls but decided that she didn't want to know. The fact was that he liked her and wanted her to be his girl – no one else.

They held hands as they crossed through the garden and approached the house but Jake suddenly stopped her once they reached the apple trees. "This is where we first promised to be friends forever, isn't it?"

Sherry simpered to him, "Yes, one of the best days of my life."

"Mine too…" Jake mused with a smile. "This is also where I found the locket."

Sherry glanced down at the locket around her neck. "Yeah, I buried it here hoping you would find it. I'm glad you did…" she said sweetly.

"Before you go in the house… there's something I wanted to ask you." Jake started awkwardly. He ran a hand over his hair before finally getting the nerve to keep his promise to himself, "Sherry, would you… go to prom with me?" he asked sheepishly with a crooked smile.

Sherry froze. The only thing she could think about was Ashley and her friends and their threat to her. She tried hard to get that image out of her head and free her body of the bruises that long faded away but the pain was permanent. She could remember them all laughing at her while she lay on the filthy bathroom floor and felt nothing but agony as they spat at her.

_Oh no… Jake… _She started to cry but choked them back quickly and looked at him pain stricken, "I… I can't…"

Jake felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "What…?" he was visibly in disbelief. "What did you just say…?"

Sherry snapped, not from his questioning but from her own rising anxiety. "I can't!" she shouted.

"Why not?!" Jake challenged angrily, "You're my girl aren't you?!"

"Jake, please I –"

"So what about earlier? Did that mean _nothing_ to you?!" he fussed. She was tearing his heart out and stepping on it right now – she was his everything, he spent nearly his entire life admiring her and fantasizing about being with her… for her to decline his offer was just devastating.

Sherry was in pain too. She knew how she felt for him – it was killing her to do this but she didn't know what else to do… "Jake, please this isn't about us… it's about someone else…"

"You… like someone else?"

Sherry gasped and shook her head, "No, no – it's just… I can't…" she started to cry and Jake – despite how frustrated he was with her, pulled her into a warm embrace. "Jake please believe me – you're the only person for me. I could never be with anyone else… but I think we need to stay as friends…"

It pained her to say that but it was all she could do at that moment. At least until they graduated and she never had to see Ashley and her friends again… then hopefully she would still have a chance to be with him.

"No," Jake rejected, shaking his head. "I can't be your _friend_ – I refuse to settle for that! I spend every waking moment of my life thinking about you and what I can do to make you smile. You haunt my damn dreams, Sherry! I have dreamed about making love to you in the garden when it's raining and we were struck by lightning!"

Sherry was speechless; he was pouring his heart out to her and was desperately trying to keep her with him. _Oh Jake… _"Sherry please talk to me… I'll never let anyone hurt you. I'll protect you no matter what. I promise you'll be happy with me…"

His next words broke her heart. "I love you, Sherry. I love you with everything I have… Please be mine, please be my girl."

Sherry pulled away from him slowly and couldn't bring herself to look at him, she knew he was hurting and so was she. Much to Jake's dismay, he watched her remove the locket and take his hand to place it there. "I love you too, Jake. I'll always love you…"

"Why are you doing this?" Jake asked and his voice cracked. "Please don't do this… I love you, Sherry. We love each other."

"I can't tell you why…"

Jake lost it – his impulses took over as he got so enraged that he slammed the locket on the ground with so much force…

It popped open.

Sherry had been startled by his sudden rage but both were stunned to see a neatly folded letter lying upon the ground beside the now open trinket. She gasped and tried to spring for it but Jake grabbed it first, "What is this?" he asked sharply, picking up the locket as well and feeling relieved that it wasn't damaged.

She was trembling under his hard glare, she shook her head. "It's nothing! Give it here!"

Jake backed away from her and unfolded the note to see its contents. Sherry watched with distress etched all over her, she hugged herself and stared sadly to the ground. Jake read it aloud to her…

"_Dear Jake, I once believed we would be together forever and truly… a part of me still does._" he began sending her curious glances now and then. "_I'm leaving this locket for you to remember me by in case we never meet again. And if that is the case, then I may as well be honest and tell you everything. If you're wondering why I left, it's for a few reasons. The first is that I can't take this bullying any longer. It hurts too much to think that the one person I trusted with all of my heart is the one person who hates me the most_…"

Jake paused and took in some air – it wasn't easy remembering the hell he'd put her through but he knew he needed to take responsibility for it. He treated her like dirt despite his real feelings for her…

"_The second reason is because of what your __**girlfriend**__ and her friends did. You promised to protect me but I guess she was more important to you… It's funny but I think they're all right about me; Alexia, Ashley, and Jessica… I really am **trash** – I don't deserve you. You're cute and fun and funny while I'm weird and a crybaby_."

"_My last reason is because I'm scared. I'm scared of so many things now and I just want to be happy… but I can't get that here anymore…_"

"_It's a little funny that as I write this letter, you're probably imagining me as that wimpy girl with no courage and who runs away from things. You're right, that's exactly what I am. I am not strong enough to fight yet but maybe one day I will be… I can't seem to let go of the past. I dunno why I'm still writing this, it's not like you'd care enough to read it all anyway… But I just want to get it all off my chest and forget about you but I can't…_"

"_I could never forget the day we met. How we laughed, how we played – I could never forget the smile you brought to my face. No matter what happened from that day on, I kept that beautiful memory. After all, it happened in our sacred place, in the garden, among the apple trees… I'll never forget you Jake… no matter how hard I try… Goodbye, Sherry aka super girl though it should probably be wimpy girl..._"

"Wow…" Sherry started once he finished. "I just noticed how damn dramatic I was with that note."

"Yeah…"

Oddly enough, they both started to laugh but it was a brief exchange of amusement. Jake sighed, staring at her with a dark look to his eye. "You… ran away because of Alexia and her little twits?"

Sherry took in some air, "Yes." she answered while keeping her composure. "But I –"

Jake scoffed, "I can understand leaving because I was a total dick to you – but you ran away because of them?" he was seeing red right now. Pissed off at Alexia for leaving before he had a chance to set her ass straight and he was about ready to throw Ashley and Jessica into a dumpster somewhere like the trash they were for even daring to call Sherry that.

But he was even more pissed off that Sherry – despite being a pretty strong girl… she gave them power over her by running away! And even worse, she left her friends because of them!

"You mean to tell me that you let those pathetic morons scare you off? For God's sake Sherry that's what they wanted all along! Alexia was jealous of you – so is Ashley! Seeing you leave gave them so much satisfaction! They knew how close we were and I don't think it was that big of a secret that I still adored you… they were jealous of that Sherry…!"

Sherry was fuming, "How dare you?! You expected me to know how they felt about me?! I knew nothing about them except that they beat the hell outta me and left me on the girl's bathroom floor after they kicked me, pulled my hair and spit at me when I laid there!"

Jake was appalled, "They did _what_?"

"You heard me!" Sherry cried; her face was red with anger and frustration. "You expected me to know – or even give a damn about your feelings for me at that time?! Your feelings for me weren't gonna stop them from hurting me and you sure weren't going to help me! I had no one to help me! So I got scared and I left…"

Jake met her on her level of chagrin, "Why the _fuck_ didn't you just come tell me about it, dammit?! I would have stopped their asses on the spot!"

"You were too busy getting a write up for harassing me in the first place!"

"What about your other friends?! Yoko, Finn and Quint – did you just forget about them?! You were so busy running away you didn't give a damn did you?!"

That struck her hard. Sherry stood there dumbfounded and Jake immediately knew he'd crossed the line. Before he could recant his words, she'd whirled away from him and stormed off to her house in a huff. He chased after her and blocked her path, "Sherry look I'm sorry… I'm just pissed off okay?"

To his surprise, she offered a smile – it wasn't a bright one, it was relatively crestfallen. "I know and you have every right to be." she sighed, "All this time I've been so critical of you when in reality – I'm wrong too. I haven't been the best person in the past either. I was weak… I see that now."

Jake said nothing and she pried the locket from his big hands, "You're right, I've been running for a while. I've been too weak to stand up for myself. After what happened between us, I thought I wasn't good enough for friends… I thought I would ruin everything somehow. Even now I still have times when I feel like I don't deserve you."

"But we've made up now. You've made plenty of friends since then and that Quint guy's always stuck by you – even when you left and came back, he's stayed your friend, right? And to hell with Ashley, Alexia and Jessica! You're not trash and you never were! Coming back and making friends – and even keeping them should prove you're a wonderful girl…" he cupped her face. "And if there's anyone who doesn't deserve someone… it's me. I don't deserve you, Sherry… but dammit, I'm selfish."

_**My doubts were all in my head… **_Sherry could hear Jill's words repeating over and over again. _Maybe my doubts are all in my head too…_

Sherry slowly smiled and Jake felt his heart melt for her once again, "I've been selfish too, Jake. And thank you for supporting me. I can't believe how naïve I've been…" she let out a doleful sigh, "Here I am, letting Ashley control my life once again… could I be any more pathetic?"

"_Ashley_?" Jake repeated.

"Yeah, she's aware of your feelings for me and said she'd make a repeat of what happened years ago if I even thought to date you – especially if we go to prom together."

_So that's why she's been so hesitant to be with me… _"How long has this been going on?" he asked.

"It was on and off in 10th grade but once we became friends again Ashley's attitude towards me got worse while Jessica's wasn't the best either but she… she actually apologized. She said she realized how bad she'd been to me and decided that it was wrong…"

"Maybe that's why she stopped flirting with me too." Jake concluded with a sigh of relief, it was finally over between them and he had nothing left to worry for. He never understood why Jessica was so clingy with him – she was like a possessive and over-protective sister sometimes more than a girlfriend and even when they were a 'couple', things just weren't satisfying…

"Jessica was just trying to help you in her own messed up sort of way…" Sherry said, moving in closer to him.

"Being clingy and obsessed was no way to go about it." he replied dryly and started caressing her cheeks with his thumbs, "Sherry, you're not gonna let this girl get to you a second time, are ya?"

Sherry shook her head and gave him a determined look, "No, this time I'm gonna be tough. This time, I'm not running away."

Jake smirked, "That's my super girl..." he wrapped his arms around her. "I promise you I'll protect you this time."

"No, this time I wanna be strong along with you." she said. "I'll try to stand up to her for myself. I want to be with you Jake and I refuse to let anyone or anything have power over our relationship anymore."

The two came together for a chaste and sweet kiss and when they finished, her cell began to ring. The caller I.D read it was her 'Papa' and the two laughed. "Looks like dear ole dad noticed you're late for curfew after all…"

Sherry giggled when she observed the time was 9:10 pm. "Yeah, well, I better go." she gave him a quick peck on the cheek and turned away to her house. "Oh and Jake…" he tilted his head with interest as she smiled brightly, "I'd love to go to prom with you."

* * *

Prom day arrived quicker than expected. Jake met Sherry at her house so they could take pictures for her parents. Prom started at 8 pm and Jake's watch read 7:15 pm when he entered the Birkin home. Sherry's mother, Annette was squealing delightfully at him, calling him handsome and thoroughly embarrassing him…

He had this experience with his mother just twenty minutes before.

Annette vanished into the kitchen after telling him to have a seat. Just as he was about to take up her offer, the sound of heels approaching caught his attention and immediately he was nearly knocked off his feet when he laid his eyes on Sherry.

Her exquisite, satin gown had two layers; red over black [visible because of a slit on the left side of the gown] and was very long, draping to the floor elegantly. The short and thin sleeves hung loosely off her shoulders with black lace, the bodice was quite fitted especially in the chest area – it made her bosom appear very full with its slight V-neck. The lace design of her sleeves went on to embellish along the V-neck and a few pretty onyx gems formed a floral pattern along the left side towards the slit of the dress. She wore satin black gloves and in her cutely curled hair was an accessory: a black feather attached to a mini hat with lace. Finishing off the look was a matching lace choker around her neck.

When she finally was within his reach, he noticed she also had darker makeup than usual and her lips were rosy red. The watery hue to her eyes was enhanced to an alluring degree…

She was absolutely stunning.

"Wow…" he breathed staring at her with a smile. "You look beautiful, super girl…"

Sherry blushed prettily, averting her gaze – she twiddled her fingers. "Thanks… I'm nervous I'll fall at prom if we dance…"

"Nah, I'll be right by your side the whole time so you'll be fine." Jake trifled, taking her hand.

Sherry was amazed when she saw Jake too. He looked dashing in his tuxedo; he had a red jacket with a black vest underneath and the pants were black too. Sherry could also see his white dress shirt buttoned up with a black tie at his neck. She couldn't help but think of how handsome he was when smirked at her.

And boy did he smell good.

"You look so handsome, Jake…" she said sweetly, feeling her face heat up more when he winked to her.

"Only for you, super girl." he said smoothly, presenting her with the corsage they'd picked out themselves a week before. It consisted of a white cymbidium orchid, small red roses and white jasmine. Sherry looked down – remembering she had his matching boutonnière in her hands.

She felt flush and allowed him to put her corsage on her wrist and then placed the boutonnière on him. "Thanks, Jake…" she said softly. Jake smiled and kissed the back of her gloved palm just as her mother emerged from the kitchen with Sherry's father, William. Both of them had cameras and Jake knew this was to be expected but he was tired of cheesing already...

It was so not his style but he'd do anything to make Sherry happy.

"Smile!" Annette said snapping a photo of the two. "You both look so beautiful together!"

Sherry thanked her mother with a hug and felt a gush of happiness. She was elated that her parents were able to take a week long break just for this occasion. She really missed having them home for weeks but the past few years they'd been extra busy…

All that mattered was that she finally had them.

William gave his daughter a hug and shook Jake's hand, "You take good care of her, Jake – or I'll tell your father." he humored with a smile.

_We definitely don't want that happening… _Jake thought irritably as he recalled his father giving him the same warning – **No prom night dumpster babies… **"You have my word, sir." he said sheepishly.

The sound of the limo honking outside alerted them all. Immediately, William ushered them to the door but not before snapping three more photos. Sherry departed from her parents by kissing and hugging them both. She and Jake left the home to get to the limousine where Claire, Helena and Carlos were waiting.

Sherry squealed with delight upon seeing her friends looking so amazing. They had all agreed to wear red and black for this occasion and she thought they looked like a garden of sensual rose warriors or something.

Even though that made little to no sense…

The limo driver allowed them all to get out and take pictures before they made off to retrieve Steve, Piers, Keith and Quint. Claire pulled a camera from her purse and nearly tripped over her dress trying to get out and hug her friend. She would have fallen if Carlos and Helena didn't grab her in time.

Helena wore a short red strapless sweetheart dress with black sequins on the bodice and black lace over the tulle bottom skirt. She also had on black sheer nylon stockings, black pumps, lace gloves and a black sequin choker. Her hair was styled in a complicated but elegant updo.

Claire wore an amazing strapless ball gown made of taffeta material – it was also red with a black rose belt loosely tied around her waist. It was short in the front but longer in the back and its skirt bottom was ruffled. Her beautiful mahogany hair was loosely curled but a black rose gathered a nice quantity of her tresses to the back of her head in a small messy bun. Her jewelry was akin to black pearls. Claire wasn't wearing stockings over her legs, she wore open toed black stilettos.

Jake had to help Sherry get into the limo after the pictures were taken. Her dress was so long she kept getting caught on things or nearly tripped over it. He didn't mind though, he was more relieved that she actually was coming so he wouldn't dare complain.

Once the limo finished gathering everyone, they made their way to the prom. Their prom was being held at a luxurious hotel on the outskirts of the city.

It was a surprise to everyone that Quint had even decided to go but he informed them all that he was inspired by Sherry's bravery to stand up to her bullies and figured he'd come along for the food, to hang with friends and to raid hotel suites…

He also mentioned something about a horror movie called _Prom Night _catching his interest lately and he made sure to enlighten everyone that they better not have any psycho ex-stalkers from their past that escaped from mental institutions to find and kill everyone in hopes to get to them.

Poor Jake became the blunt of the joke though he insisted that Jessica was through with him.

As they closed in on the hotel, Sherry could feel her nerves kicking in; an uneasy feeling tried to overwhelm her but she leaned against Jake to calm herself.

They had a plan, everyone in the limousine had pitched in to help her cause this time – she was not alone in this. She and Jake agreed to keep this all a secret and tell Ashley and everyone that she wasn't going to prom to not raise suspicion – but this was all for the sake of the plan.

Sherry was going to show up at the prom and take Ashley and her friends by surprise.

All that needed to happen to get the plan into action was for Sherry to walk into the restroom and when Ashley followed her, Claire and Helena would trail behind and ambush her when she tried anything.

…But that was what bothered Sherry.

After all this time, she was tired of the bullying, the fighting and the conflict. They were all about to graduate and move onto bigger things in their lives. After prom, they were going to graduation and then that was the end of it all.

She didn't want her last memory of Ashley to be like it was for Alexia. She didn't want her to get away with bullying her but she also didn't want to leave prom with the memory that she did exactly what Ashley did.

Ambush her and bring her harm.

It was like Jill said – moving forward means leaving the past behind. Sherry imagined that meant letting go of the pain too. She didn't have to forget what Ashley put her through but she would have to move on.

_Jill… thank you. I think I know exactly what I want to do now._

* * *

The hotel was very crowded, all the seniors of Raccoon city high school were required to meet in an open hall and ballroom where the DJ and prom decorations were set up. Balloons were scattered about and posters and decorations were in the likeness of the special occasion.

Jake entered the ballroom with Sherry at his side – his arm wound tightly around her waist as he peered around at everyone. He could make out many students that he knew and they were visibly surprised to see his date but he simply smirked and strode along. He saw Claire immediately start dancing with Steve and Piers gently trying to persuade Helena to indulge him in the same action. To his surprise, she willingly did so…

He felt Sherry stiffen suddenly and followed her gaze to see Jessica standing with Ashley up ahead, both of them appeared equally shocked though Ashley's surprise concealed a quiet rage.

Jessica was wearing a dark purple mermaid dress that clung to her slender form and the bottom of the dress was designed with a tulle skirt. Her long hair was curled like usual and she had some quite modest makeup for once.

Ashley was wearing a very ostentatious ball gown; it was multi-colored with a big skirt that draped the floor and a halter tie around the back of her neck. Her short blonde hair was pulled away from her face and tied in a bun on the back of her head.

Jake figured it would be a good idea to get Sherry away before the rising tension started to bother her but to his surprise, she seemed calm. She leered to him with a simper, "Did you… want to dance?" she asked over the boisterous music the DJ was playing.

He took her hands in his, "Wouldn't you rather confront them and get this over with?"

She shook her head with unbridled determination in her eyes, "Jake, let's just have some fun for now."

He smirked at her, "Sure thing babe."

Just then, Claire came over and tapped them both. They whirled around to face her and she grinned before snickering mischievously, "Looks like Graham-cracker's upset that you're here, Sher." she said. "This should be good! Oh and don't forget to vote for Helena and Piers as King and Queen okay? But don't tell them! It's a surprise if they win!"

Jake raised a brow but glanced to Sherry, she was giggling before replying to Claire, "Will do! And don't worry about Ashley, I'm sure she's too busy worrying over whether or not she'll win prom queen."

"Helena and I are going into the restroom after the next song ends. You can follow us in there but be discreet about it. If she follows, we'll be right there to kick her ass for trying to hurt you." Claire said firmly.

Jake noticed that Sherry seemed incredibly composed, like she was plotting something. He was about to question her but she responded to Claire first, "Alright, I'll be sure to be alert."

Claire waved them off and went to join Steve by the punch bowl and Jake and Sherry began dancing together when a slow song came on, Sherry tried to fall in step with Jake and he could tell she wasn't familiar with slow dancing. He started to show her the steps and once she got the hang of it things went very smoothly.

"Super girl," Jake began softly against her ear. He didn't miss her distinct shudder when he did that, "Don't do anything that doesn't feel right for you, okay? You don't have to confront them or fight if you don't want to. I just don't want them to frighten you anymore, babe."

"I know, Jake… but what I'm going to do is not because of what was done to me in the past. I'm doing this so I can let the past go for good." she smiled to him before resting her head on his chest. "You'll see what I have planned – but for now, please just hold me…"

Jake simpered and placed a tender kiss on her forehead, "I love you, super girl."

"I love you too, Jake."

* * *

Sherry watched Helena and Claire enter the restroom nearby and waited a minute before following after them. She gave Jake's hand a nice squeeze first and then trailed off alone. Her nerves were on fire as she made her entrance into the restroom. She stood in front of the sink and snapped three times to let Helena and Claire know of her presence. They were in the stalls waiting and in response, they snapped twice.

It seemed like they were waiting for hours but in reality only a moment had gone by. Girls came and went from the restroom and Sherry casually pretended to be fixing her makeup. Eventually, she grew frustrated and debated calling the whole thing off when suddenly in popped Ashley with her three groupies.

Sherry turned to face the other girl with a calm expression but inside, she was in shambles. _You can do this Sherry – it's time to take back your power. _

"I thought I told you not to show up, _Sherry_?" Ashley started with a snarl. "You don't believe me when I say I'll kick your ass again?"

Sherry sighed, it was the day of reckoning… "Ashley, I am not afraid of you." she said smoothly, her hands together and fingers laced. "There isn't anything you can do to hurt me."

Ashley stalked forward, ready to smack her but Sherry remained stoic as Claire stormed out of the bathroom stall just in time, almost knocking the girl in the face with the door as she did so. "So Ashley, I hear you enjoy beating up on girls with the help of your little tramp followers. How much of a threat are you with me here?" Claire sneered with a smirk.

Helena opened her door next and came up beside Sherry without saying a word. Ashley was visibly intimidated, she puffed her cheeks as they reddened with her growing fury. "Oh so you're a coward now Sherry? You have to call for back up?"

"Funny you should say that because you didn't come in here alone. You brought your friends with you with the intention of harming me." Sherry declared mild-manneredly. "I suppose if we all came after you and your friends right now I'd be a lot like you, wouldn't I?"

Claire glanced at Sherry with interest, she could see where this was going but she was curious as to why. Sherry advanced on Ashley and the girl stood her ground with a cocky smirk. "Ashley, I'm not fighting you. I don't need to."

"What?"

"It's been a long road but this is the very last time we're probably going to see each other – well, besides graduation. Do you really want to graduate from here knowing that all you did was terrorize a girl you didn't even know? Jessica's moved on from Jake – what purpose do you have for trying to control who he dates? You don't even like him. You like Mr. Kennedy, don't you?"

Ashley blushed but shook her head, "N-No way! He's old!"

"But very handsome…" One of her groupies stated with a sigh.

Sherry smirked with amusement, "It's time to move on, Ashley. It's time you let it all go. We're all grown now with bigger things ahead of us. Why not just bury the hatchet now?"

"You think you're so high and mighty." Ashley said with frown. "You think you're so special – like the world revolves around you."

"That's not true." Sherry replied shaking her head. "I'm not perfect. I've always been the shy one who never spoke up for herself and the girl with weird hobbies. I've never felt accepted… The only time I have is when I met Jake."

"What are you talking about?" Ashley demanded short-patiently. "You're trying to play the sympathetic role after everything you've put Jake through?"

Sherry flinched, "Pardon?"

"I don't know what you did to him but throughout middle school Jessica, Keith and I were the ones who tried our best to make him human again! Then suddenly you show back up and steal him away! He walked into your arms so willingly too – just for you to hurt him again. You don't care about anyone but yourself! For once, maybe you should just help him by letting him down gently and going away for good!"

To say Sherry was devastated was an understatement. She couldn't believe her ears… _Ashley hates me for the same reason as Jessica did… but why? Jake's none of her business._

Helena lost her patience at that moment – she was tired of Ashley always acting like she could control the world. If her father wasn't rich, she'd still be in the 9th grade. "Who the hell are you to tell someone what they should do?" the usually quiet and composed brunette said irritably. "You know nothing about Sherry. You should shut your damned mouth and start doing your school work instead of worrying about things that have nothing to do with you."

Ashley scoffed, "Helena please – you've been here since 8th grade. Jessica and I had been working to make Jake cheer up for over a whole year before you came around. If you had seen how hurt he was, you'd hate her guts too!"

"I doubt it," Helena said dismissively. "It's none of my business so whatever happened between them would have been for them to deal with. It's so funny that you think you're some sort of bodyguard for Jake when he can't even stand you. Keith's the one he's shared everything with since they were young and Keith's told me that himself. Never once did he mention you or Jessica bringing any 'happiness' to Jake's life. Jessica maybe but you… nope."

"I don't care what Keith says! None of you would know how Jake was after this heartless bitch left!" she pointed an accusatory finger at Sherry. "She broke his heart somehow and now she's trying to do it again! Jessica and I could see that clearly but now she's suddenly on your side too… I don't get it. "

_Unlike Jessica, Ashley's just gone along with this hatred thing. Jessica only hated me because she wanted to protect Jake and sort of replace me. Ashley has no reason to hate me except like Jake told me, she's been jealous for some reason… but maybe she did grow protective of him because her friend Jessica was…_

"I think you need to stop making assumptions about things unless you know the entire story." Claire said with a dark frown. "Jake and Sherry would have never –"

"Claire, Helena – thanks for sticking up for me but please, let me talk…" Sherry pleaded softly, she was ready to stand up and be strong. "Ashley, none of this would have even happened if Jake and I weren't so young and dumb…"

"Oh?" she rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Fill me in please." her words were laced with sarcasm but Sherry didn't care.

"Before I met Jake, I had no one in my life that I could call a friend. I was always picked on and treated like dirt but when he came along, all of that stopped. For the first time in my life I knew I had someone who cared about me, who would be around me, who liked me… The day he walked away from me was the day I stopped believing in myself."

"Maybe you did something to make him leave you." she stated harshly.

Sherry shook her head, "We… had a misunderstanding… I told him that I moved in and out of my aunt's house quite often. I never got a chance to tell him the whole story before he assumed that I was planning on leaving him. If he had asked me, I would have told him that I had no intention to. I was happy with him. He made me smile…"

"When he started being mean to me, I didn't know what I did wrong because he never told me why he suddenly hated me… I blamed myself. I was sure I was not worth being friends with. I didn't believe I was likable, I didn't believe I could be a friend to anyone because in the end they would start to hate me…"

"So is that why he started bullying you…?" Ashley asked in a milder tone.

Sherry sniffed back some tears threatening to fall and nodded, "That little misunderstanding destroyed so much of the happiness we shared…"

Ashley sighed and faced the floor, "In other words… you're trying to say Jake brought this on himself, huh?" her words were bitter…

"No, I should have been more assertive." Sherry replied.

"You do know that the whole reason we started picking on you was because we thought you hurt him?" Ashley stated lifting her head to look her dead in the eye. Sherry was taken aback by her words. "We were his friends and… we knew he had some hurt from you but we didn't even understand why. We thought you did something horrible or something."

She groaned, "I should've known that something was up – especially since he never wanted us to bother you. But that day at the dance… we saw Jake get in trouble because of you and we wanted to get back at you for it… That's why we attacked you… and said you didn't deserve him."

"So instead of just mind your own business, you attacked an innocent girl because you were so called 'looking out for him'…?" Claire rolled her eyes and felt a migraine coming on. "I don't care how old you were – if Jake never wanted you to bother her, it should have clicked for you to leave her alone. I don't believe you when you say you were trying to protect him. I think you always had a problem with Sherry and wanted to hurt her."

Ashley frowned, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"You should just admit it, Ashley." Helena deadpanned, "It's obvious that you had no reason to be so defensive of Jake. He never liked you so cut it out."

Sherry approached Ashley and took her hands into her own – much to the blonde's surprise, "What you did to me... It did hurt me… a lot. But I'm willing to find peace with it all if you're willing to let Jake and I be together without interfering. It's time you let this go because there's no reason for it."

"I'm willing to forgive you for the past but if you try and keep this going – the only one who loses is you. Jake and I are going to be together even after school ends but you… we'll probably never see you again. Now, do you want to continue this endless animosity between us or are you willing to move on?"

Ashley dropped her head and the restroom was filled with silence as everyone waited for the other blonde's response. Finally she lifted her head, "Fine. But for the record – I am not and have not ever been jealous of you."

Sherry smiled, "Okay Ashley, whatever you say."

* * *

Jake was standing with Keith, Piers, Carlos, Quint and an irritable Steve who made sure to voice his need for alcohol when Sherry finally emerged from the restroom. Jake let out a loud sound of relief as he raced over to her and pulled her into a hug before turning his attention to Ashley – who came out at the same time. "Listen Ashley you need to –"

"Jake, I know you've never really wanted Jessica and me to be so possessive of you but… just know that you don't worry have to worry – we're not butting in anymore." she smiled for a brief moment and then sighed, "Good luck…" she turned away and her groupies followed her.

Jake was perplexed until Helena and Claire appeared from the girl's room too. He raised a brow to them and Claire just smiled, "We didn't fight – this time, Sherry finally shown Ashley and the others who she really is: a kind and compassionate girl, with some scars of her own."

He looked at the girl in his arms and saw her smile sweetly to him, with tears in her eyes. "I think I'm okay now, Jake – I think we're okay."

Jake buried his head in her hair, "We're more than okay, babe. We're perfect."

Helena and Claire smiled at one another before leaving the lovers alone in their moment. "See you two in the suite for the party then, right?" Claire remembered to ask before she left.

"Which room?" Sherry asked with big eyes.

"1302 and remember, it starts at midnight! …You two don't have a curfew do you?"

Jake looked curiously at Sherry and she smiled, "I'll call my papa and see if I can stay for the party."

Claire winked at them before wrapping her arm around Helena's waist to pull her over to Steve and Piers. Jake directed his attention back to Sherry and cupped her pretty face in his hands, "Sherry… how about we –"

"Hey Jake, Sherry," Quint interrupted seeming to loom from nowhere. Sherry smiled kindly to her friend but Jake offered a hard glare, "Eh sorry, Jake… I just wanted to tell Sherry something…"

"Hurry up…" Jake grumbled irritably and Sherry smacked his arm lightly. He just wanted a moment alone with her. Now that Ashley was out of the way and Jessica was completely doing her own thing – he just wanted to indulge in everything that was Sherry now.

Quint looked at Sherry with a big grin. "I'm proud of you, Sherry. You finally realized that running from trouble solves nothing."

Sherry simpered, "Yeah, I just hate that I had to deal with things the way I did but –"

"Don't worry about the past anymore. The future's all that matters!"

Jake stiffened with agitation when Sherry hugged Quint, thanking him for everything – being her friend and believing in her despite their many differences. "Heh, you're the one I should thank! You kicked my butt into gear with school work! And… you gave me the confidence to ask Jessica out!" he pointed to her but was dismayed when he saw Keith making moves on her.

The techno loving male sprang away from Sherry and Jake to race over to his friend and the crush who wanted him to disappear. Jake had an amused smirk on his face and Sherry just giggled at her friend's antic. "Well, it's 9:45 pm, wanna go call your dad?" Jake asked, checking his watch.

Sherry nodded, looping arms with him. "Mind if we go to the top floor? I might be able to get better reception there."

"Lead the way."

Jake allowed her to lead him out of the ballroom and into the corridor nearby. They were free to lurk the hotel as they pleased and even pay for a room if they wanted. As they proceeded through the many corridors, Jake noticed a lot of other students looming through the halls.

"What is it about prom that makes everyone leave the dance to do whatever they want?" Jake mused with a smirk.

Sherry giggled too, "I think we more or less like showing off how good we look more than enjoying the prom itself." she replied, "Either way this is a very special day…"

Jake hummed in agreement and followed her into an elevator. She punched in for them to be taken to 13th floor. As they slowly ascended, Jake stared at her with multiple scenarios running through his mind – most were not of the purest form.

Her lips looked so pretty he just wanted to kiss them… _Damn, it's hot in here. _He unbuttoned his jacket and removed it and then the vest underneath followed. _Screw all this clean-cut shit – It's not my style anyway. _"Hold this would ya?" he requested to Sherry, holding out the boutonnière.

He then proceeded to remove the tie around his neck and unfasten the buttons there all the way down to his chest. _Finally, I can breathe again… _He sighed and leaned his head back against the wall of the elevator. "Sorry about that, it's just too hot in here." he chuckled, closing his eyes.

She was too quiet. He inclined his head to observe her and was flattered to find her ogling him – her watery eyes traveled over every inch of his upper torso and she was starting to bite her lip. "Super girl?" he definitely startled her, "Are you okay?" he smirked handsomely to further frustrate her.

"U-Um, I'm fine – why do you ask?" she replied with her gaze darting everywhere but to him.

* * *

The elevator came to a stop on the 13th floor and the two stepped out into the corridor. The hotel looked the same on every floor – bright lights on the ceiling, brown doors, carpet weaved in gold designs, and solid eggshell colored walls.

They found the door to the rooftop and ascended the staircase until they arrived at their destination. The two walked over to the balcony where they could see the beautiful view of Raccoon city's night lights. Jake sighed contently when the gentle breeze fluttered around him and he glanced at Sherry. Her watery eyes were bright with fascination – no doubt from the scenery. He wound his arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him.

"Can I see your phone Jake? Mine is dead…"

Jake chuckled and offered her his phone. He listened quietly as she called her dad and asked for permission to attend the party. Her father finally conceded and she assured him she would be returning home with Jake in the limo before 2 am. Once she hung up, Jake kissed her temple and she sighed, hugging him closely. "Jake… I can hear the music from all the way up here, can't you?"

He hummed, "Yeah…" He buried his face into her hair and starting to hum along to the song. There weren't any lyrics to it, it was obviously an instrumental of sorts and he was familiar with it but not the songs title.

"Jake…" she started, "I had no idea you could sing…"

He chuckled, "Yeah, it's not something I do often, ya know?" he said gazing into her eyes.

"But you have a beautiful voice… like a soft sultry." she said coyly.

That really stroked his ego. "Heh, thanks babe – though I usually only sing around my mom… it's not bad singing to you I guess." he humored but felt a sour feeling in his gut upon mentioning his mother.

She had returned to see him off for prom but she would be leaving by the next morning. It was pretty difficult to deal with his family drama while trying to focus on school – but Sherry made things so much easier for him to bear. Even though his parents were…

"Jake… what's wrong?" she asked him suddenly with concern on her lovely features.

He really dreaded this but it was about time he shared with someone, "My uh… parents are getting ready to separate…" he heard Sherry's gasp and sighed, "They've been considering it for a long time – ever since I was little. But they stuck it out for me and now that I'm 18, they're ready to split. My mom told me that they never really loved each other so this is easier for them than it is for me… but she claims she doesn't intend to make things difficult for me." he scoffed, "Too late for that."

"Jake, I'm so sorry…" Sherry whispered tenderly, hugging him tightly. "I'm so sorry…"

"You've done nothing wrong, babe. Don't apologize." he told her while returning the embrace. "I'll be fine… I'm sorry for bringing this up – seems like I killed the mood huh?"

"No Jake, you've always been strong… there's nothing wrong with having your moment of weakness." she responded with her face buried in his nape. "Jake, I'm here for you. If you ever need anything - anything at all, just tell me. I'll always be here for you."

"I know, Sherry… I never want to split with you again. I know we can't control what happens in the future but as long as we give our all for each other… I think we'll be fine. I don't want to end up like my parents – I want to be with the girl I love for the rest of my life… and the girl I love is you, Sherry."

"I love you too, Jake…"

His eyes slowly came to a close and he inhaled her garden-like essence, "Let's do what we can to stay together. We don't have to make any promises this time because we're old enough to understand what we can and can't do. We can't guarantee this will be an easy road but – let's give it our all, okay babe?"

Sherry smiled sweetly and nodded, "Absolutely… so, what's your plan? You know, since we graduate next week…"

"Well, I'm staying here in Raccoon with my dad for college… I got a basketball scholarship so I'm majoring in that." he humored lightly. "You?"

"I'm staying here too." he noticed the sigh of relief from her and that gave him solace as well. "I'm majoring in biology. I tutored it so much that I've grown very fond of it."

"I thought you would have decided to major in botany or something… what happened?"

Sherry sighed, "I grew up."

"Ah…"

Jake knew very well what she meant. She still loved flowers but he understood that her passion for flowers may have just been a little child dream and as she grew up, she discovered a love for more than that. He understood her very well, much like him and his adventurous, climbing ways – he had grown fond of sports, particularly basketball because he was able to maintain his need to be active.

"Isn't it beautiful, Jake?"

He assumed she was speaking about the night scenery and chuckled agreeing with her, "Yeah, it really is."

"Jake… I noticed something about us…" she said suddenly. "We cling to the past as if we're forever stuck to it – trapped in memories from our childhood romance… But Jake, you and I are together now – we have a new romance, and it's better than what we had in the past."

Jake smiled warmly and kissed her hair, "I know. We 'get' each other now, we don't have worry about anything because now we both understand how we feel. We'll never forget what happened in the past but… do you think we could let this run it's course and see what happens? Let's just… be together."

"I'd like that." Sherry purred, kissing his cheek.

He peered out to the city with her in his arms, "Sherry… When we were young, we made a promise that no matter what happened – our bond would stand the tests of time… From that day on, you and I would be together… even beyond the garden."

Sherry looked at him with a simper. "That's right because even though the garden was where it all began, there's so much about one another that we have yet to learn and not only that – we've got a whole new world out there to explore… and we'll do it together."

"Exactly, because after all – the one thing we both wanted, we got it. I'm here for you every day, and you're my girl – let's make sure it stays that way." he smirked.

"That's all I've ever really wanted." She said wrapping her arms around his neck. "So… now that we're an item… what do you say we go see who wins prom king and queen?" she giggled.

"Sounds fun… but first –"

Their lips met and at that moment, all the memories of their encounters in the garden and among the apple trees flashed through their minds like a movie. Every single moment – from catching apples, to running through fields of lavender; they could remember everything.

When they pulled away, all the pain from the past had been let go, scattered into the wind.

They stared out into the city once again. This was their garden now – the world and it's vastness to explore. Even though it was scary, they knew that as long as they had each other – everything would be fine.

* * *

_You might wonder who won King and Queen for the prom? Well, it certainly wasn't Piers and Helena._

_To everyone's shock, the winners were Jessica as prom queen and…_

_Quint won prom king. _

_Some would call it a match in heaven but others demanded a recount._

* * *

In time, everyone grows up. These memoirs are not meant to trap Jake and Sherry to their past, they are meant to serve as reminders of the road that's been traveled. One day, they will look back on their mistakes, their mishaps, and many other things and realize – what once ruined their lives actually did serve a purpose for them. It made them stronger, wiser and helped their love to truly blossom.

So where do Jake and Sherry go from here? Well, their future is in their own hands and it's up to them to shape it in a way that feels best for them.

* * *

A/N: AND IT'S DONE!

I hope you all enjoyed this fic! If there's any confusion feel free to let me know and I'll respond. Btw, the theme behind this fic is "Remembering the past but never letting it control your future". I kind of left this ending ambigious because they're graduating high school and well let's be honest - even graduates have a lot to learn about the world so there's really no telling where they could end up. I think it fits because at the beginning when they first met, they made promises and it ended up changing their perspective of the world because they were so young. Well, they're still young so... only time will tell. XD

Thanks for all the favs, alerts, reviews and feedback! I appreciate it so much! :D

My next fic will be posted in the next few days. Thanks again for everything you guys/girls and I'll be seeing you soon!

-Vio


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